


slice of life

by SamBK



Category: Vis a Vis | Locked In (Spain TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Missing Moments, One Shot, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25754536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamBK/pseuds/SamBK
Summary: i think there is so much that Zulema and Maca lived together in those years in the van. So many small moments that can warm the heart and tear a smile, that's why I decided to create this collection
Relationships: Zurena - Relationship
Comments: 102
Kudos: 255





	1. il cielo in una stanza

**Author's Note:**

> (This is just a small collection of zurena moments that come to my mind.  
> I don't know when it will be updated and how many I will write.  
> English is not my first language, I hope there are not too many mistakes.)
> 
> This one-shot exist for this exact screen, where it seemed to me that the ceiling of the caravan is painted. 
> 
> (The title is from an Italian song,  
> and it literally means "the sky in a room"  
> which I found accurate enough for this little story.)

  
Another night where Maca got high and Zulema spent the time between reading a line of her book and watching Maca dance, it had come to an end.  
Zulema had just turned off the main lights, leaving only the Christmas lights on and had leaned on the bed, next to Maca who had already been sleeping for a while. Or at least so she thought.  
"I just had a wonderful idea"  
Zulema didn't reply so Maca went on "did you hear me?"  
Zulema snorted "yes, let's hear this bullshit"  
"Let's paint the ceiling!"  
Zulema opened her eyes and looked at the white ceiling above her "nope" replied.  
"Why?"  
"Because you have already decorated this place too much"  
"I made it more welcoming"  
"And why? You always say that we don't have to get used to it, that we don't have something that binds us and that this marriage of convenience will end but then you decorate the fucking trailer with lights and put plants on the windows. "  
Maca fell silent.  
She didn't consider that trailer a home ... well at least not really. But surely it was the only thing that had to look like a home.  
And she had made it as beautiful as possible.  
"When I come back here in the trailer and see those lights or plants ... I feel good, it makes me feel... _safe._ "  
"Yeah whatever, we will not paint the ceiling."  
"I want to paint the sky."  
“It's useless, Rubia, you live in a trailer. The sky is your roof. "  
“It is not true and you know it. I just want to fall asleep looking at the sky instead of the white. "  
"Sleep outside then."  
"Come on, Zulema, what's the big deal?"  
Nothing, actually. But she had allowed Maca too many things already.  
She wouldn't let her have this too.  
"If you let me get a Scorpion, I will let you paint the ceiling."  
"No, you know what the rules were"  
"Then nothing."  
“Look, I don't give a fuck, Zulema. I do it anyway. "  
"Try."  
"It's a threat?"  
Shrugged "if you think it is"  
“I remind you that I share a bed with you, I am no longer afraid. And not that I was before anyway.”  
Zulema laughed "sure, keep repeating it"  
Maca hit her with the pillow in her face "I will paint that sky tomorrow" she fell back in the bed,  
turning her back on Zulema "and I hope you'll help me"  
  
  
In that time spent together, Zulema had learned to appreciate small details of Maca,  
details she hadn't noticed in prison.  
Like the small wrinkles that formed in the center of her forehead  
and the fact that she put her tongue between her lips when she concentrated. Just like now.  
Sitting on one of the van steps, Zulema looked at her standing on a chair with a brush in her hand.  
"Don't bother to help me"  
"I won't," Zulema replied.  
Maca rolled her eyes. _Typical._  
"But I'll tell you what you should have done if you want"  
"No thanks"  
Zulema smiled while lighting a cigarette "in the first place you should have papered around with newspapers,  
because the drops of paint will never come off, coño"  
Maca bit her lip. She was right...  
"Then you could have bought a ladder, you know, we have half a million euros, you could have spent a hundred and fifty for a good ladder."  
"Oh, do we have? I thought that the money were divided. "  
"We'll share the money when it's over, as long as we live together it belongs to both of us and you know it," she shrugged,  
"As you buy food, you can use it for everything else."  
Maca already knew, she just liked to hear Zulema sayin _their_ money. And not only hers.  
"Something else?"  
"You could have said yes to the scorpion and now I would be there helping you."  
Maca smiled. _Very funny_.  
A dull thud in the floor made Zulema laugh out loud as she watched Maca groan in pain from the fall.  
Maca was about to get angry but hearing Zulema laughing in that crystalline way made her smile in turn.  
It was not usual to hear Zulema laugh, so she had decided that anger could wait.  
She got up from the ground, walked out of the trailer and then started to walk.  
"Where are you going?" Zulema asked.  
Maca turned, shrugged "you were right"  
"You have to clean up the mess you made, Rubia"  
Maca lifted the hood of her sweatshirt.   
"I will," she said, then turned and continued walking.

  
She was disappointed.  
Disappointed in herself.   
She wanted that sky in the ceiling and now being able to do it had also become a challenge against Zulema.  
Like anything between them. But she had it all wrong, from the beginning, she had to admit it.  
Going back, clean up everything and maybe start over with Zulema who would not have missed an opportunity to repeat "I told you so" ... didn't seem a good idea.  
So Maca decided not to go back, at least for now.

  
She stayed out until night, the temperature was starting to drop and willy-nilly she had to go back to the van.  
There was silence when she arrived, the lights were all on: external and internal.  
She remembered the mess she still had to clean up, rolled her eyes, opened the door and entered.  
"I'm ..." the effort he had to make not to say _at home_ was huge, "... here."  
"I don't give a fuck." answered Zulema from the kitchen area where she was sitting reading.  
_Nice as always_.  
She looked around, noting that paint, brushes and the chair used as a ladder were not where she had left them.  
Then Maca looked at the ceiling and her eyes lit up at the sight: the blue paint surrounded the white of the ceiling, forming clouds.  
It was beautiful, just how she wanted it and definitely better than how she would have done it.  
Maca looked at Zulema and smiled "thank you."  
The woman didn't look away from her book  
"You'll do the laundry for a week, puta, so you learn to leave a mess and walk away."  
Maca laughed "okay" approached her "thanks for giving me the sky, Zulema"  
gave her a kiss on the cheek "I love it" she whispered in her ear.  
The older woman was stunned for a moment from that gesture, then pushed the blonde away  
"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about" smiled.


	2. There is no mine or yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only thing to know before reading this fic is that we are on a very, very cold winter day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thank you so much for the positive feedback, I'm so glad you liked the first OS. I hope you enjoy this one as well ♥

It was eleven o'clock in the evening when Maca finally saw headlights breaking the darkness in the trees.  
  
Zulema was finally back.  
Maca's first instinct was to scream where the fuck she had been when she saw her get into the van. But then she thought it was not a _normal_ reaction. They were free, adult and could do what they wanted.  
"Have you already eaten?" Zulema asked, placing the pizza box on the table.  
  
"No," Maca replied. _I was waiting for you_ , she thought.  
  
The brunette nodded "then you're welcome."  
  
They sat at the table, facing each other and Zulema opened the box.  
Maca smiled at the sight of a simple Margherita. Her favorite pizza.  
  
"Do you have to be forgiven for something?" she asked,  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you usually put any kind of crap on pizza."  
  
"I liked something simple this time."  
  
"Sure," Maca smiled, biting a slice of pizza.  
  
"What the fuck are you laughing at? Look, I didn't buy it because it's your favorite pizza."  
  
"But you remember that it's my favorite."  
  
"I remember it because it's obvious and boring, just like you," she replied, snatching the slice of pizza from Maca's hands and biting it, then dropping it back onto the box.  
  
Macarena gave her an incredulous look.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You took a bite of my slice of pizza"  
  
"I just wanted to taste"  
  
"Yes, but you took a bite of my piece of pizza, why?"  
  
Zulema rolled her eyes "ok calm down you can always take another one"  
  
"You could have taken another piece of pizza and instead you preferred to take that"  
  
"So?"  
  
"Did you want to kiss me indirectly?"  
Zulema rolled her eyes and laughed "what the fuck are you saying?"  
  
"The truth"  
  
"Or maybe you are overthinking about a piece of pizza"  
  
"Our mouths touched through that piece of pizza"  
  
"You're really stubborn then!"  
  
"What does it cost you to admit it?" She laughed.  
  
"Admit what?"  
  
"That you did it on purpose"  
  
"Why should I admit something that's not true? You know me, Rubia, if I wanted to kiss you I would come over and kiss you end of story"  
  
"Then kiss me"  
  
"Joder ... are you serious?"  
  
Macarena burst out laughing "crazy, right?"  
  
Zulema nodded "it is the worst idea."  
  
"I'm just saying there was a lot of that pizza"  
  
"And I felt like biting your slice okay? Stop it"  
  
"So everyone does what they want? You don't have respect for other people's things anymore?"  
  
"There isn't mine or yours, cariño, remember? Iguales o nada." smiled.  
  
Zulema loved to twist Maca's words against her.  
  
"Ah well all right then. Keep in mind the words you just said to me."  
  
"Don't play with me Rubia, you know you always lose."  
  
  
  
The next morning, Zulema woke up strangely late. Well not that she had a place to go or something to do. It was simply late by her standards, so much that even Macarena was already awaken.  
  
She looked around for her Elsa sweatshirt. Not seeing it, she opened the closet but it wasn't there either. An unhealthy idea leapt into Zulema's head. _No, impossible._ She put her jacket over the shirt she used to sleep and walked out of the trailer looking for the blonde girl and there she saw her. Sitting on one of the wooden benches, not far from the trailer. With _her_ sweatshirt on.  
  
"Puta Rubia"  
  
"Good morning to you"  
  
"What the fuck are you doing with my sweatshirt?"  
  
Zulema loved that sweatshirt. It wasn't just a sweatshirt, it was _THE_ sweatshirt.  
  
"There is no mine or yours, cariño, remember?" Zulema took a few steps outside "all right Rubia, lo siento" spread her arms "toca matarte" so she rushed in the direction of Macarena who promptly got up and ran away.  
  
Zulema chased her around the trailer until her lungs begged for mercy.  
  
She folded on her legs, bringing a hand to cover her stomach in an attempt to calm a pain. Maca stopped ahead for breath too.  
  
"Have you already given up?" Zulema's response was to enter the trailer and close the door behind her. Maca did not understand that gesture, because it was not like Zulema to give up. _In nothing_.  
  
It was after some time when Maca decided to reenter the trailer to see what Zulema was doing. She went to open the door but it was strangely closed.

She tried again but the door had been closed from the inside.  
  
She rolled her eyes. Zulema could be so childish. She knocked on the door "stop playing, open"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Open up, coño"  
  
Still silence.  
  
"Zulema I swear to you that if you don't open ... I'll tear off the sweatshirt."  
  
"Try it and the pains you will suffer will be worse than those that Lucifer himself could inflict on you."  
  
Maca knew she wasn't kidding. "Okay, but now open"  
  
"I have decided that you will stay out"  
  
"What the fuck does that mean?"  
  
"The more you keep going, the longer you'll stay out there."  
  
"Zulema I swear to you that-"  
  
She saw the woman emerge from behind one of the windows " what? You kill me? Not before I kill you. "  
  
Maca snorted and went to sit in one of the bench.  
  
Sooner or later Zulema would have to go out, the brunette was not happy to be in small spaces for so long. Something she had left from prison, probably. Maca knew this, so there was nothing to do but wait. She lifted the sweatshirt up to cover her nose and exhaled. Smiled.  
  
She had only taken it to spite Zulema but she had to admit she liked Zulema's smell.  
  
It wasn't something Maca sensed often, because there was never such physical closeness between them. Maca shook her head, what the hell was she doing? Smile while she's smelling Zulema? My god, she was so desperate.  
  
She had to find someone soon.  
  
Having Zulema as the only human in her life was confusing her.  
  
She decided to take off her sweatshirt and stay in her bra despite the cold outside.  
  
But she didn't go knock on the door. Because she had taken off that sweatshirt just to get rid of certain thoughts that didn't even have to be in her head and not to let Zulema win.  
  
  
A couple of hours later, Zulema decided to see what Maca was doing or if she was gone.  
  
She looked out the window and saw her curled up on that wooden bench where she was in the morning, in her bra.  
  
She opened the door "que coño haces?"  
  
Maca did not answer.  
  
Zulema approached slowly and noticed the accelerated breathing of the woman "Maca?"  
  
She noticed that Maca's body was shaking slightly and there she understood.  
  
She picked her up and rushed into the van.  
  
She placed her on the bed and surrounded her with whatever was nearby, blankets, pillows, clothes. She turned on the electric oven and put on a pot with water.  
  
She picked up the phone and typed on google: _what to do in case of hypothermia_.  
  
The first result was to call an ambulance. Zulema laughed.  
  
They hadn't even been to the hospital for a bullet stuck in the skin, she would have killed Maca if she had to go there for that.  
  
The second result read: _What to do in case of hypothermia while you wait for the ambulance_.  
  
Perfect.  
  
_\- cover the patient.  
  
\- serve him hot drinks.  
  
-warm him with your body._  
  
Zulema did not even think about the gesture she made immediately after. It was automatic to lie down next to Maca, hug her and hold her as tightly as possible against her body. Zulema quickly rubbed her hands on Maca's back in an attempt to give her even more warmth.  
  
She couldn't be dead. It was simple logic.  
  
Okay, she had been in her bra outside in the middle of winter for about ... two hours?  
  
Why had she taken off that goddamn sweatshirt, by the way?  
  
Sometimes Zulema couldn't believe how stupid and irresponsible Macarena was. "You better wake up, Rubia or ... or-"  
  
"Will you kill me?" The voice came in a whisper. Zulema spontaneously smiled at the sound.  
  
"How do you kill someone who is already dead?" Maca continued, as she held closer to Zulema.  
  
"I guess we won't find out today." She answered.  
  
Maca smiled. Zulema held her for another minute before extricating herself from Maca's body and getting out of bed. She arranged the blankets and clothes around the other. "What the fuck were you doing?"  
  
Maca did not answer, but hid her head under the covers and Zulema went to the oven to pour the now hot water into a cup. She added a tea bag before taking it to the blonde girl "here."  
  
Maca came out from under the covers, sat up and took the cup "thank you" replied.  
  
"What was it? A plan to get back in? Because it was a really shit idea. And it's not like you to have a shit plan. Even when it comes to these bullshits"  
  
"It was nothing" she shrugged "I didn't want your sweatshirt on me anymore"  
  
Zulema licked her lips and sighed "Oye, I don't give a shit about your life, okay?" she smiled "but it upsets me, and quite a lot, to find another person and train him to do this" she indicated the space around them.  
  
"So, if it doesn't bother you too much, stop doing bullshit."  
  
Maca continued to sip the tea from her cup.  
  
"First the crap of last night's pizza, then the sweatshirt" Zulema continued "now you are almost dead and for what?"  
  
She leaned on the bed, getting too close to Maca's face "if you want a kiss, you just have to ask" she straightened up and went to the door of the van "but I can't assure you that my answer will be affirmative" she added, before going out and closing the door behind her.  
  
She lit a cigarette.  
  
Picked up her sweatshirt that Maca had left there and smiled.  
She would never admit it, but she was glad that annoying blondie was still alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know what i'm doing here lol  
> in the first version, while Zulema was chasing Maca to take off the sweatshirt, she dropped her to the ground and found herself astride her, then they laughed, and then .... But I hate writing OOC things. And I think even how I got things going in this final version, they are slightly OOC. The point is that it is difficult to talk about the relationship between Maca and Zule, I never know if something is too much for what binds them, and I also want to remain in the canon given by El Oasis since this just wants to be a collection of missing moments. But then I also think that they are two human beings and that at some point they will have let themselves go to many things. I don't know, I repeat: I hope it's not too OOC.


	3. Coffee

That night, Zulema was having trouble falling asleep.  
  
And for once, the fault was not of her thoughts but only Macarena's who was curled up at the end of the bed, crying nonstop.  
  
"Are you going to cry all night?" snorted Zulema.  
  
Maca did not answer.  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
"No" came in a whisper.  
  
"Then stop crying."  
  
Maca sniffed "I can't"  
  
"What the fuck does that mean?"  
  
But Maca did not answer.  
  
"Either you stop or you go crying outside, you decide."  
  
But the only sounds that kept coming out of Maca were sobbing.  
  
Zulema couldn't really understand why she had to cry right now. She went through moments of infinite sadness as well, but what she did was exactly the opposite of Maca: she went as far as possible so as not to be seen in tears by her. She didn't want her compassion or even talk to her about the reasons that pushed her to let it all out by crying.  
Why couldn't Maca do it too?  
  
A sob was the only answer that came.  
  
"Joder! Shut up!"  
  
Maca got out of bed "sorry if unlike you I have fucking feelings, Zulema" took the first jacket she found "fuck you" she said, and then went out.  
  
Zulema smiled. _Finally silence_.  
  
Now she could sleep. Or so she believed.  
  
Because apparently the thought that Maca was still crying outside that door didn't leave her alone.  
  
She hated it when her conscience played these tricks on her.  
  
She stole, threatened people with death, kill some of them and slept peacefully. But was that fucking blondie crying? It was the end, of course.  
  
Sometimes she couldn't understand why she had to care so much. Perhaps she was getting old and her impenetrable armor was failing.  
  
She got out of bed snorting, grabbed a sweatshirt and got out of the van.  
  
Maca was sitting in one of the bench.  
  
"Why the fuck did you go out? Didn't you want to sleep?"  
  
Zulema smiled. _Fair enough_.  
  
"I wanted a cigarette, can I?"  
  
Maca did not answer.  
  
All those Mac's silences were so strange, usually she was the one who talked the most and urged Zulema to talk to her.  
  
She always told her she couldn't hide anything from her, because she knew her as if they were married.  
  
Zulema wanted to be as good as her with words.  
  
Lit the cigarette and inhaled for several seconds, thinking about the next move.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" she finally asked.  
  
"No"  
  
She inhaled some smoke "well it's not like you can let off steam with someone else, you know" shrugged "I doubt you want to talk to strangers you sleep with."  
  
Maca looked up to look at her.  
  
"And you have no other people to make _certain_ talks with besides me" Zulema continued "so I'm your only someone."  
  
There was a moment of silence and then Maca burst out laughing.  
  
"But if we spend most of the time in silence!" objected.  
  
Zulema smiled. It was true. But she thought that even silence was a form of dialogue and it was not for everyone to remain silent and feel ... _comfortable_.  
  
"Touché. But you have to admit that I'm right anyway. If not me, who?"  
  
"Nobody?"  
  
"And will you let this thing consume you from the inside, little by little, until it makes you burst?" she mimicked an explosion with her arms.  
  
"Said, the one who lets whatever consume her from within."  
  
"Hey don't move the focus on me!" she pointed the finger at her "I know you love talking about me, Rubia, but this is not the time."  
  
Maca shook her head, still laughing "sure" wiped the tears with the sleeve of her jacket.  
  
Zulema smiled. At least she made her laugh.  
  
"I mean it, before ..." she said "can I do something to help you?"  
  
"Maybe there is something," she got up from the sofa, walking towards her  
  
"Can you hold me?" she asked with a little shyness.  
  
Zulema shook her head negatively "absolutely not."  
  
"I just need a hug, Zulema, please." the voice again broken by new tears.  
  
Affection was not something she found in her one-night stands. She hadn't hugged anyone, a simple, pure hug for far too long. And she missed it. Especially at that moment.  
  
But affection was not something contemplated in the relationship with Zulema. Maca understood this, it was like having a silent rule.  


There were things they just didn't do.  
But she didn't care about the rules at the time. She just wanted to be able to hold the one person next to her on the face of planet earth against her body.  
  
"No." Zulema stated.  
  
"...please." Maca whispered desperately.  
  
And Maca's tone made something break inside Zulema. Or maybe made it shake.  
"I'm not a hug girl, okay?"  
"You asked me if you could do something for me and you can do this little thing that would really help me a lot."  
Maca just wanted something to hold the pieces together. And Zulema's arms were the only thing left and could hold it.  
But Zulema did not answer and Maca understood that the answer was, once again, negative.  
The blonde girl passed Zulema to get back into the van when she felt those arms wrap around her from behind.  
Zulema said nothing, just held Maca against her. Maca let out a deep breath, feeling better thanks to that contact and the warmth of Zulema's body. She tilted her head back until it rested on Zulema's shoulder and enjoyed that contact a little longer. But Maca also wanted to hold Zulema and so she tried to turn around in her arms but the brunette held her still.  
Maybe it was a bit too much to try that gesture, after all Zulema had already satisfied her.  
"Thanks, Zulema," she whispered.  
The brunette let her go, turned away from her and lighted another cigarette casually.  
Maca smiled at that scene. Like every nice thing Zulema had done for her, it was never talked about and never happened.  
  
The next morning, Maca certainly woke up more quietly than she had gone to sleep.  
  
The white cup with the coffee that Zulema left her was ready on the counter, like every morning. She looked out the window and saw her lying on the trampoline, so she decided to join her.  
  
Maca lay down beside Zulema without saying a word, as she always did.  
  
But this time the brunette wanted to talk. "Why were you crying last night?" churches.  
  
"I miss my family." sighed.  
  
Zulema did not answer.  
  
"I think I should be with my brother ... rather than here, with you."  
  
"Nobody forced you to stay here with me."  
  
"That's not what I said."  
  
"And why do you suddenly want to be with someone who didn't even come get you when you got out of prison?"  
  
But Maca did not answer.  
  
"I asked you a question," Zulema continued.  
  
"Because you are the person who makes me feel the loneliest in the world while being right here next to me."  
  
Zulema smiled "I never told you we would do robberies to be in company, it's about money, freedom and not having a shitty job. And you know it."  
  
"But a human being needs something else too, Zulema. And I'm not talking about sex and shit like that, I'm talking about not having to beg you if I need a hug."  
  
"Thank that I gave it to you."  
  
Maca sat up to look at her "Do you see how you are? My God would it _kill you_ not to be a asshole for a fucking time?"  
  
"Honestly? Yes."  
  
"But I don't think so, Zulema. Otherwise you would have been dead long ago."  
  
The brunette's eyes widened "please list when I haven't been a asshole, and it's not worth yesterday's hug since you practically begged me."  
  
"The coffee you leave me every morning. The sky you painted on the ceiling. Is that enough evidence for you?"  
  
"You had reduced the ceiling to a rubbish, I just fixed it" she replied "and the coffee is simply a leftover of what I prepare for myself, it costs me nothing to leave it there. But if you have these thoughts, I'll pour it into the sink. next time."  
  
"Don't worry, there won't be a next time."  
  
Zulema laughed "honestly, what do you expect me to answer? That I will beg you not to leave? I find a thousand like you, Maca. And they would do your job for much less."  
  
Macarena got up from the trampoline and headed for the van. She got out of it shortly after only to get into the car and get away from there.  
  
Zulema smiled. She never cared where Maca went when she took the car, or to _who_.  
  
Because in the end she always came back to her.  
  
And this time it would have been no different.  
  
Zulema always won. On everything and everyone.  
  
  
It was late at night when Zulema was awakened by the sound of a door slamming. Her first instinct was to grab the gun she kept near the bed but then she remembered that Maca hadn't come back yet.  
  
A few minutes later, Maca got into the van making more noise than was possible.  
  
She was probably drunk, Zulema thought.  
  
The blonde badly took off her shoes and coat and then threw herself into bed next to Zulema.  
  
"I only came back because I forgot my money," she said, aware that Zulema was awake.  
  
The brunette smiled.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Maca woke up with a terrible headache, cause of hangover.  
She opened her eyes and, after a moment when she was bothered by  
the sunlight coming through the windows, she saw the usual white cup on the counter.  
  
She got out of bed only to get closer and see its contents: _coffee._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: this is going to be a collection of super cute and fluff moments  
> also me: **makes them fight in every chapter**
> 
> But honestly? I don't think they are capable of communicating in any other way lol.  
> For this chapter I only have to say that I firmly believe that in those years they let themselves go to hugs, due to moments of weakness.  
> We all need hugs <3  
> Maybe in another one-shot I'll tell you about that time when Zulema was the one who needed a hug... 😉


	4. Frozen marathon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a Frozen fan I had the need (and the duty) to write why Zulema owns Elsa's sweatshirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thank you so much for the comments <3  
> I love reading them, they really make me want to write more.  
> This one-shot is by far the most soft and easy one, thought they deserve a break from dramas.

  
  


Zulema dropped on the table in front of Maca the flyer of a movie theater, "here" she said.  
  
Maca looked at it, then turned her gaze to Zulema "what should I do with it?"  
  
"There is a new movie that looks good, I want to see it."  
  
Maca glanced at the headlines "which one?"  
  
Zulema looked down "Frozen."  
  
The blonde burst out laughing "come on I'm serious, what is it?"  
  
Zulema didn't answer and Maca realized she wasn't kidding "oh" she said, then smiled "it's the sequel Zulema, you haven't even seen the first one ..."  
  
The brunette shrugged "yes but there is this offer for the day it comes out, see" she pointed to a spot in the flyer "first Frozen and then Frozen 2."  
  
"Do you really want to do a Frozen marathon?" Maca had not stopped smiling for a moment at that scene.  
  
"What's wrong with that?" she asked crossly.  
  
"Nothing, I just didn't make you a cartoon or princess girl."  
  
"Look, it has no fucking thing to do with princesses."  
  
"What do you know? You have never seen it."  
  
"I've seen the trailer and there is a lot of action and adventure."  
  
Maca laughed "sure, but they are still princesses."  
  
"Ok I don't give a fuck, I want to see it."  
  
"Okay don't worry, I won't tell anyone." she winked at her.  
  
"If you want to get to theater alive, I suggest you stop."  
  
Maca was surprised by those words "I didn't understand you wanted to go with me."  
  
Zulema rolled her eyes "what reason did I have to tell you, then?"  
  
"Well I thought you were bothering to inform me of your plans."  
  
"Why should I? I never did."  
  
"It seemed strange to me as well."  
  
"Anyway I don't want to go with you, just to be clear, it's just..." shrugged "you always complain that there is no shit to do and that you get bored because you are a fucking niña who always needs to do something, so I thought you could go too. "  
  
"Oh sure," she smiled, "not with you, then."  
  
"Unless you want to walk, you can come in the car with me."  
  
"At that point I should necessarily see the screening of the film at that same time."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I could turn up in a place that will be right next to yours."  
  
"I don't give a fuck Rubia, it could be you like any other person. _Me das igual_."  
  
"Obviously, it's not like a date, after all we are already married"  
  
Zulema took the flyer from the table only to throw it at Maca "stop fixate at things, puta" walked away from the kitchen area to head towards the van exit "if you continue with this bullshit I'll have to leave you at home."  
  
Maca smiled.  
  
_Home._  
  
Who knows if Zulema had chosen those words on purpose or if she hadn't even noticed.  
  
  
  
A couple of days later they headed to the movie theater with wigs, just to make sure they were inconspicuous.  
  
"Hello" greeted the girl from the ticket office.  
  
"Hi," Zulema replied, "two tickets for the Frozen marathon."  
  
The girl smiled at that request.  
  
"What the fuck?" Zulema said "is there an age limit for the film? I don't think so."  
  
Maca nudged her in the side "stop it, you idiot."  
  
"I just wanted to know what our new friend found so funny," she smiled.  
  
"It was just a polite smile ma'am, I don't find anything funny about it."  
  
"But look, she has the courage to answer!"  
  
Maca took her hand only to pull her close " _que coño haces_?" she whispered in her ear "we must not attract attention, stop it immediately."  
  
Zulema gave the girl another smile "the famous tickets?"  
  
"Do you have a preference for seats?"  
  
"Tall and central, thank you." Maca answered.  
  
"You're a couple?"  
  
"WHAT?!" Maca and Zulema asked in unison.  
  
"Because I can give you the couples chair, if you are. It has no armrest in the middle, so it's more comfortable to be close together, just like it was in your home."  
  
Zulema realized that she still had her hand in Maca's, so she extricated herself from her grip.  
  
"Two normal armchairs will be fine. In fact, if you can put us at opposite ends of the room it would be even better."  
  
The girl looked at Maca.  
  
"Obviously she's joking." smiled the blonde "but two normal seats are just fine."  
  
"Take anything else?"  
  
"Two big popcorns." Zulema answered.  
  
"I don't want any."  
"And if you dare to take even a single grain of corn, I'll kill you."  
  
"If you put it that way, I'll have to eat your popcorn, only to test you."  
  
Zulema rolled her eyes " _oye_ , go ahead. I'll join you."  
  
So Maca walked away, leaving Zulema alone.  
  
" _Joder_ ... I can't stand her." the brunette said as she took the money from the back pocket of her pants.  
  
"You know, once I also met a person I said I couldn't stand."  
  
"Oh, did you kill her?"  
  
The girl smiled "I married her."  
  
Zulema rolled her eyes "what a bullshit."  
  
  
  
Entering the hall, they went to sit in the places written in the ticket.  
  
"Ah perfect!" Maca exclaimed "we have the best seats."  
  
Zulema smiled "I didn't make you a movie nerd."  
  
"When I got out of prison and I didn't have anyone, I used to come often. It was my only company. I walked into a movie theater and for those two hours, I forgot about my shit life."  
  
"Now you don't have a shit life anymore, you are rich and famous."  
  
"Well I still have to share it with you so ..."  
  
In response, Zulema started throwing popcorn at her.  
  
"Stop it _coño_ , don't waste the popcorn like that."  
  
"I'm not wasting them if they can bother you."  
  
Maca caught her wrist with one hand, while with the other she tried to take the bag of popcorn.  
  
They were interrupted by the sound of laughter. They turned and saw a group of children in the seats ahead, looking at them and laughing.  
  
Maca left Zulema and they composed themselves.  
  
"Even the children laugh at you, Rubia."  
  
"They're laughing at both of us."  
  
The lights in the room went out and silence fell.  
  
Maca looked at Zulema's face illuminated by the big screen, smiled. She had the look of an excited child.  
  
  
  
  
"So? Did you like it?" Maca asked her when they left the cinema.  
  
"Enough."  
  
"I saw you cry when Elsa sang."  
  
"I do not know what you're talking about."  
  
Maca laughed "well I liked it a lot, it made me laugh and it touched me too."  
  
"Yeah, I could hear you laughing at that little snowman shit."  
  
"You have no sense of humor, Zulema."  
  
"You're the one who has a bad one."  
  
"But if Olaf is the most beautiful character."  
  
"Elsa is, but I'm not surprised you don't understand anything, as usual."  
  
"But if the only thing she can do is cry and blame herself."  
  
Zulema stopped her walk only to turn around and look at Maca: "Where the fuck were you for both movies while she did nothing but protect the people she loves? Or when she found the strength to let go and be herself? When did she learn to love herself? "  
Maca smiled "See? You just didn't like it _enough_."  
"Puta Rubia" hissed Zulema, resuming walking.  
"Did you really think I didn't understand a children's film, Zulema?"  
The brunette did not answer but stopped in front of a shop window.  
Maca approached her and understood why she had stopped.  
"You don't really want to buy it."  
But in response Zulema entered the shop.  
  
"It suits me perfectly, admit it." Zulema said coming out of the shop in a black sweatshirt with Elsa and the word _Fearless_ printed on it.  
She couldn't wait to get home to put it on.  
"You really liked that movie, huh?"  
"It's just that the sweatshirt is really cool."  
"Elsa is too. But I can't say the same about you."  
Zulema smiled "I'm even cooler than Elsa, I just lack the powers even if my brain can be considered as such."  
Her brain, yes, the one that was beginning to no longer work well. The one who had betrayed her.  
Maca laughed "but if it is always me who elaborates the plans for our robberies."  
But Zulema did not reply. She suddenly became saddened and started walking back to where they had left the car. Maca followed her but preferred not to ask what caused the change of mood. She had learned not to ask for anything when it happened. The only problem is that it happened too often lately. And Maca desperately wanted to know why.  
  
The drive was silent until Maca had an idea.  
"Do you mind if I put on some music?"  
"You'd do it anyway just because I told you no."  
"No, not now."  
"Put your shitty music on, Rubia."  
"You will regret this answer."  
Maca plugged the aux cable into her phone and played a song.  
The first notes of _Show Yourself_ filled the car.  
Zulema looked at Maca for a second, then burst out laughing.  
"What? It's your new favorite song."  
Zulema turned up the volume from the radio and Maca smiled.   
She was not given to know what Zulema had, she was not given the chance to help her but Maca had still found a way.  
A way to distract her and give her a smile.  
Zulema slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road, getting a questioning look from Maca.  
The brunette leaned a little towards the blonde who didn't know exactly how to react.  
Did she want to kiss her?  
Hug her? Why?  
And why right there?  
Did just hearing that stupid song really trigger all this?  
Zulema reached out and pulled the belt behind Maca's head, then let it pass in front of the blonde and hook it.  
She looked at Maca's face and smiled at the expression of pure confusion on the blonde's face  
"the belt, coño" lightly hit her forehead with a finger and then started the engine and set off again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry but I can't really make them kiss .  
> I had a few problems with where this suppose to take place. Because Frozen 2 was out on November 2019, same year of the last season of Vis a Vis. But El Oasis is based 12+ years after Vis a Vis and the flashbacks take places a few years before... I'm lost. Fuck the time track.  
> They went to saw Frozen 2 and Zulema loved it  
> you can't change my mind.  
> Hope you liked it <3


	5. The only person that exist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the first episode of El Oasis we see Zulema stop two guys from taking a drunk girl with them.  
> I wanted to imagine it wasn't the first time this happened and put a motivation behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments to the last chapter, I loved that we all think Zulema loves Frozen <3  
> I hope you like this one too.  
> Staying in character is getting difficult haha  
> I just want to write about hugs, kisses and sex all the time. i rewrote this shot 3 times 😫

Maca had learned not to pay attention to when Zulema left or came back.   
She couldn't ask her where she was going, what she was doing or why she was out all that time, she just knew that she went out almost every night and came back very late, sometimes even when it was dawn.  
  
This time it was no different. She heard her enter the van and pretended to sleep.  
  
She could never fall asleep before she came back, it was as if her brain was always waiting for Zulema to lie next to her to allow her to sleep.  
  
Maca waited to feel the mattress move under Zulema's weight, but this time it didn't happen.  
  
"Maca?" Zulema whispered.  
  
The blonde immediately opened her eyes only to find the bloody face of the brunette in front of her "what the fuck!" she yelled, jolting.  
  
She focused her eyes to notice that Zulema's face had been hit in multiple places and blood surrounded them all.  
She sighed and got out of bed "sit down" she told her, going to get the first aid kit.  
  
She went back to sit on the bed, next to Zulema "it's not normal, you know? I mean, this is at least the fifteenth time this month"  
"I suppose I just have a very punchable face."  
"Well yes, it's definitely so" she smiled "I'm going to kill them for punching you, you know, only I can do that."  
"Don't make these jokes while I'm exhausted and I can't prove you'd be down before you even raised a hand."  
Maca soaked some cotton with alcohol and passed it over Zulema's wounds.  
The brunette gave not the slightest sign of discomfort to the sensation.  
"Doesn't it hurt?"  
"The fists hurt more."  
"Why do you always end up fighting with people, Zulema? We shouldn't attract attention and all you do is show off."  
"I'm not doing this to show off."  
"Do you do it for the simple sake of beating people up?"  
"No."  
"Is there at least some fucking valid reason?"  
  
"I couldn't protect Fatima."  
Those words made Maca stop and she remained motionless to look at Zulema.   
She never spoke to her about Fatima.  
"But I can protect these girls. And you can't even imagine the crap there Maca, every fucking night I go to the town I have to save some girl. Imagine what happens when I'm not there." she swallowed, her gaze fixed on a indefinite point "And I can't do it all, okay? I can't live to kill every son of a bitch. But if I don't, who will? Sometimes I wish the world was all here" she looked at Maca " within the four walls of this fucking van and that you were the only other person who exists! "  
Maca was speechless.  
"And it's none of your business anyway," she concluded.  
  
Maca's response was to hug Zulema. She didn't care about anything. And she didn't have better words, not this time.  
It was strange. She had never hugged her so directly. Yet it looked so familiar.  
  
Zulema did not return the hug, she stood still for a moment and then pushed Maca away "que coño haces?"  
"You needed a hug."  
"I don't need shit. Least of all from you."  
Maca smiled at her with a tenderness that Zulema had never seen before.  
"Stop the fuck now," warned her, "sorrow is the worst thing you can feel for me."  
"I don't feel sorry, Zulema" in fact she didn't even know what she felt. Because Zulema speaking so openly was a new thing "I appreciate that for once, you're talking about something so personal...with me."  
  
"Don't make me regret it."  
"Zulema, you protected Fatima. As far as you could and as long as you were allowed. Stop blaming yourself."  
"I'm not blaming myself."  
  
"But I think you are doing it. Yes, you punch people to save those girls but at the same time you like them to hit you, you get it right. It's your price to pay."  
"Oh my God stop analyzing me!  
Don't you have a fucking better thing to do? "  
"I am stucked here with you every day of my life so no. I have nothing better to do. But this has allowed me to know you well enough."  
Zulema fell silent for a moment "can you just help me with the wounds?"  
"I'll help you but I won't stop talking, because contrary to what you say: it's my business. _You're_ my business.The very moment you come back with the scarred face and you silently ask me to help you when you could do it all  
by yourself."  
"Okay! Then I'll do it by myself" she tried to tear the cotton from her hands but Maca stopped her wrists with the hands.  
  
"No, hey, stop it! I'll do it!"  
"You have to shut up if you want to."  
"I won't. Because for once you have opened up to me Zulema, and I will not pretend it never happened. I can help you and not only with the wounds."  
The brunette rolled her eyes "and let's hear what your great solution is."  
Maca resumed taking care of the injured face "the point is, you won't bring Fatima back by punching some raping bastard."  
The brunette's eyes burned "don't say her name."  
"And," Maca continued, putting the hands around her face "getting punched won't erase what you feel. "  
The brunette pulled back "you have to do me the fucking favor not to touch me."  
"And you do me the favor of finding other ways to deal with what you are feeling. Fighting will not solve anything and you may be in worse conditions than usual."  
Zulema smiled "afraid that I may die, Rubia?"  
Maca shrugged "I'm bored finding a new partner."  
"I'm not your partner."  
"Yeah yeah I know" closed the first aid kit "here, go get yourself cleaned up ..."  
Zulema got up and before entering the bathroom she whispered a shy "thank you."  
  
  
  
  
The next day had passed as if nothing had happened. As always. Maca often wondered why things had to work like this: for the slightest step forward they made in their relationship, they inevitably went back to step one. It was as if the situation could never be completely unblocked.  
  
  
But when evening came, Maca knew exactly what she was going to do, even at the cost of fighting with Zulema.  
The Brunette in fact got ready to go out, as if the day before they hadn't talked about anything, but when she arrived at the door of the van, just when she was taking the keys to the car hanging on the wall, Maca stood in front of her.  
"What the fuck are you doing, Rubia?" she mocked her.  
"You'll stay at home tonight."  
The brunette smiled "Oh, you say so?"  
Maca nodded.  
In response Zulema pushed her, making her slam against the door.  
"I swear to you Zulema, you will have to kill me to get out of here today."  
"You think I won't? You know what happens to anyone who gets between me and my freedom."  
"Going to get punched I wouldn't call it freedom."  
"What the fuck you know about what I'm going to do?"  
"I know you and unlike you, I haven't forgotten last night's speech."  
Zulema rolled her eyes "neither do I!" she replied "and I didn't even tell you that you were right or that I would never do it again."  
"But I don't want you to."  
Zulema put a hand around her neck "I don't give a fuck what you want" opened the door behind Maca and pushed her away, making her fall to the ground.  
  
Maca groaned from the impact, she would surely have a bruise on her ass the next day.  
Zulema got out of the van and passed her, but the blonde was quick to get up and literally threw herself on her, knocking the brunette forward. Zulema promptly put her hands forward, cushioning the fall.  
Maca sat on her back "I want to see how you do now."  
Zulema was stronger than Maca, but not at a disadvantage. And especially not while the blonde held her with all her weight.  
So, she decided to relax her body and - just as she imagined - Maca also put less pressure.  
That was the signal she was waiting for.  
  
  
Zulema jumped to get up but Maca immediately tried to keep her still, so she only managed to turn around on her stomach.  
The blonde placed her hands on either side of the other's head to have more support on the ground beneath them and put more weight on Zulema.  
The brunette smiled "i'm curious, what did you plan to do next?"  
But Maca didn't have time to answer because Zulema's free hands landed on her shoulders and knocked her down, reversing their positions.  
"Now I will get up Rubia, and if you dare to touch me again I will kill you."  
Maca smiled "has it ever worked to threaten me?"  
Zulema squeezed a hand around her neck and the blonde smacked back.  
"You want to fight, right? Then do it with me."  
Zulema moved her hand to Maca's jaw and squeezed tight. The blonde's eyes that hadn't stopped staring at her for not even a moment.  
"Rubia de mierda" She cursed, getting up.  
She looked for the car keys that had fallen to the ground from the impact with the blonde, but Maca was quicker to get them and threw them into the nearby lake.  
Zulema took her by the collar of her sweatshirt "now go get them, _coño_ "  
"I'll take them tomorrow morning I promise you," she smiled.  
Zulema couldn't really believe Maca's audacity. She liked playing with the blonde, her temper and responses in tone but she had crossed the line.  
Zulema pushed her back to the ground and then turned away. It bothered her to even look at Maca.  
She lit a cigarette in an attempt to calm her nerves.  
"What is it you don't want to punch me?" Maca said, lying on the ground.  
Zulema inhaled her cigarette for a long moment "believe me when I tell you that if I start punching you now, I won't be able to stop."  
"So you're afraid of killing me." smiled.  
"I'm bored getting rid of your fucking corpse."  
"Oh sure."  
"Some girls will be raped and killed tonight, thanks to you."  
"You can't take on the problems of the world"  
Zulema turned to look at her "oh so let's let the pieces of shit do what they want?" shook her head "since when are you a heartless bitch?"  
Maca shrugged "They always did what they wanted, you know. We've always been on the losers side."  
"Not you!  
You don't fucking know what it's like to lose. "  
  
"Oh no? I don't know?" she rose from the ground, only to get a little closer to Zulema.  
"Will you ever stop thinking your pain is worth more than everyone else's? That ain't a fucking race to see who has suffered the most?"  
Zulema smiled mockingly and threw the cigarette butt on the ground.  
"I've lost a son, Zulema. I don't have a family and I'm alone in the world, just like you. Why don't you let yourself be understood?" She said, approaching with small steps "Why don't you come a little closer instead of moving away? "  
"Be very careful what you do now, Rubia."  
They were so close that Maca could have done anything without Zulema having time to stop her.  
She smiled, looked down and touched the toe of one of Zulema's boots with her shoe "you're stuck here. That was all I wanted."  
" _Maldita puta_ " Zulema said pushing her once more.  
Maca grabbed her hand with which she pushed her "stop pushing me"  
"and stop touching me," she said, trying to pull her hand away.  
"Do you know we need four hugs a day to survive?"  
"If you try to hug-" but the blonde had already pulled her to her and was holding her in a hug "you definitely have to learn to shut up."  
Zulema did not return the hug, she was simply motionless to let herself be squeezed by Macarena, having to admit that it wasn't that bad. But she would never have said it out loud.  
"Vamos, that's enough," she said after a moment, moving away from Maca as if she had burned her.  
Maca smiled "call me if you want another one"  
"Not gonna happen."  
The blonde walked over to the van and then turned to look at her "and Zulema, the world won't stop if you pretend I'm the only person that exist, it will keep turning."  
"I would die after two days in that case, Rubia" she smiled "look what a mess you made in one night."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write about Zulema asking for hugs, she's too tough for that. But I can let Maca know when Zulema needs a hug.  
> Because, as always, she can be strong, bitch, cold heartless as much as she wants but a person who has suffered so much comes to a breaking point where she lets others get close, even if for a few seconds.
> 
> As for Maca, I think I make her too soft around Zulema?! i don't know...


	6. My territory.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maca's birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I've been sooo busy.  
> Thanks for the comments on the previous chapter and I hope y'all like this one!

"Do you want to come with me?"  
Maca asked, coming out of the bathroom where she had just get ready to go out.  
"No."  
Zulema replied without taking her eyes off the book she was reading.  
"Are you sure?"  
"When did we ever go out in the evening together, Rubia? You know I hate the places you go."  
  
Maca laughed  
"that's because you can't have fun."  
"Because dancing and drinking is _definitely_ fun."  
"You can't tell, you've never tried it."  
"Well anyway, I said I'm not going so, go and leave me alone."  
"As you prefer."  
  
Only then Zulema look up from her book and saw her: she was wearing a very short red dress with a wide neckline. And matching heels of a darker shade.She was beautiful, of course. And it was weird that she was going out dressed like that, they usually tried not to attract attention.  
  
"What about that dress? It might attract attraction" _unwanted attention_ , she added mentally.  
"I don't think people in a nightclub are sober enough to recognize me"  
Maca shrugged "and besides, it's my birthday."  
Zulema's eyes widened at that statement. She had forgotten it. Well to be honest, she wasn't really aware of her birthday.  
"Oh, happy birthday"  
"No, not yet, in two hours."  
"So your birthday Is tomorrow, you idiot."  
"But I'm going to dance on my birthday."  
Zulema rolled her eyes "you should have said it this way from the beginning."  
Maca smiled "I don't have time to argue with you tonight, I'm busy and I'm already late."  
"Late for what? You're just going to dance."  
The blonde shrugged "I don't want to miss any songs"  
  
Zulema hadn't believed Maca's words. There was no such thing as not wanting to be late to the club for songs when you were going to stay there dancing until morning.  
So, she decided to follow her.  
She had never paid for a taxi, it was useless and it was better to drive but Maca had a car, of course, so she found herself forced to pay a damn taxi driver to take her to an even more damned nightclub. Sometimes she didn't believe what she was capable of doing for that stupid blondie.  
  
As soon as she arrived, she lifted her hood to hide her hair and kept close to the walls, it was better to identify where the blonde was so as not to risk being discovered. And there she was, a little blond head dancing in the middle of the dance floor with two men around her. What a desire to take the gun she kept under her sweatshirt and ... _no, hey no! What the hell? The blonde can fuck them all together I don't care!_  
  
Yeah, she didn't care and yet there she was. But Zulema had a very good reason for that, or so she kept repeating: she wasn't jealous of Maca. Absolutely not. Out of question. What was she supposed to be jealous of? They weren't even together. It was just an instinct that became a habit: to make sure where the other one was. Always have it in your peripheral vision. And it's not that Maca had never gone out alone or that she didn't know how to defend herself, it's that this time it was different. It was her birthday and Zulema was sure she would let herself go a little too far and didn't even want to imagine what might have happened. That's why she had to be there to watch her. Of course, it all started with Maca who had told her she was late. In fact, she was still wondering which of those two little men was the one Maca had a date with.  
  
  
Probably the jerk wrapping his hands around her hips, Zulema thought. Who knows where she had met him, why she had wanted to see him again on his birthday, why the other man was there and why she felt a knot in her stomach at that vision. She decided to move to the bar area to drink something, the night was infinitely long. Zulema did not lose sight of Maca even for a second, and she was ready to intervene a couple of times and then stop because there was nothing wrong with a man dancing too close to Maca if she liked him. And she definitely seemed to like it. She couldn't ruin her evening, especially her birthday, if nothing wrong was actually happening.  
  
The DJ turned down the music to pick up the microphone "It's just struck midnight and I'm told that is someone's birthday.  
The men beside her whistled and applied.  
"Give Macarena a round of applause! Happy birthday, the next song is for you" the notes of a new song filled the venue as Maca laughed and moved to the beat.  
Zulema smiled.  
She looked so happy. She would have liked to wish her a happy birthday. But the smile died on her lips when she saw the duo take Maca away from the dance floor at the end of the song, while none of those present noticed anything.  
People knew how to be so blind.  
She decided to wait a moment longer, to see if Maca would do something or if someone else intervened. But when they were almost near the exit door, Zulema rushed to them.  
"The party is here." she said, making them turn to look at her.  
"And would you be?"  
"What are you doing here?" Maca asked.  
"No, what are _you_ doing here."  
Maca burst out laughing "it's my birthday, have you forgotten?"  
"And this is the way you celebrate?"  
One of the men cleared his throat "can i know what's going on? Who the hell are you?"  
"She is ..." the blonde began "my ... uhm"  
"Girlfriend!" Zulema answered without batting an eye.  
Maca turned in shock to look at her.  
What the hell? The man raised an eyebrow and looked Zulema from head to toe.  
"Estefanía never mentioned you."  
 _Estefanía? Oh!_ Maca had probably given them a false name.  
 _A smart thing for once._  
"Because she's a fool who takes refuge in a bar as soon as we have an argument."  
Maca cleared her throat "could you excuse us for a moment?"  
She took Zulema by the wrist and dragged her out.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?" She asked, releasing her grip and standing in front of her.  
"I came to get you."  
"What does that mean? And how did you get here? Wait a minute, did you follow me?"  
Zulema shrugged in response.  
"Why did you follow me?"  
"It intrigued me that you were already late. You couldn't be late for a stupid song."  
Maca nodded slowly "and how did you get there?"  
"I called a taxi shortly after you left ... I made the poor idiot drive like a madman to reach you."  
The blonde burst out laughing "did you really pay a taxi for me?"  
Zulema rolled her eyes "I didn't do it for you, I did it for me. You know, I thought you were stupid enough to trust someone and tell them your real name, that way they would find me too very soon."  
"I'm not that stupid, Zulema."  
"I already saw that you used Rizos' real name."  
"I was talking about the trust, I'm not stupid enough to trust someone other than you."  
"Oh, you've finally learned something."  
Maca shook her head and smiled "why did you stop us a while ago?"  
"I thought you were drunk and that they were taking advantage of you."  
"Well it’s not like that, so you can go."  
She started to turn around, but Zulema wasn't finished yet.  
"Two at once, Rubia, really?"  
Maca looked back at her "who says we would have sex? And even if we were, it's none of your business."  
"Sorry I'm worried," she laughed mockingly.  
"Since when do you worry about someone other than you?"  
"I don't, I just get annoyed by men who take advantage of women in general."  
"They weren't taking advantage of me."  
"Not yet."  
"What the fuck do you know?"  
"Joder, Maca, seriously? How can you be sure? How long have you known them?"  
"None of you business!”  
"Yeah because the answer would automatically give me right, would it?"  
The door they had come out of, opened "Estefanía, can we go?"  
"I'm coming"  
"We're not done talking." Zulema said.  
"Yes we are."  
"Okay, then let's go home."  
Maca laughed "and since when do you decide for me?"  
"Since you've been a stupid _niña_."  
The blonde started to leave but was held by a hand on her wrist.  
"Leave me," she said, without turning around.  
But in response Zulema drew her next to her "don't piss me off, Rubia" she whispered in her ear.  
"Stop with this fucking attitude," she replied.  
"Do you need help?" asked the man waiting for her at the door.  
"She doesn't need anything less from you," Zulema replied.  
"Forgive her, está loca."  
Maca apologies, extricating herself from the blackberry's grip.  
"Why don't you come with us?" the man asked Zulema  
"okay" "don't talk about it" the two women answered in unison.  
"You've ruined enough of this evening, go home."  
Zulema was hurt by those words but she didn't show it, after all Maca was right... but she wouldn't leave her alone with those two. She didn't trust them."You know I come anyway," she replied.  
" _Dios_ , you are unbelievable! Do as you wish."  
  
So, the four left the club only to go to another club nearby; it was less noisy than the disco and food was also served.  
"You haven't told me your name yet," one of the men asked as they sat at the table.  
"You either"  
"I'm Chris and he is José."  
"I'm _Zelda_."  
"Nice to meet you."  
Zulema gave him her best forced smile.  
"And how long have you been together?"  
"Years," Zulema replied with a confidence that seemed to be true.  
"How many?"  
"Too many to count."  
Chris laughed "it's not something people say, you know, years are important."  
"Not for us." Maca answered.  
"Well José and I have been together for four years."  
Zulema almost choked on the shot of rum she was drinking.  
"I didn't understand that you are together"  
The two laughed "yes, we understood that from the jealousy scene" said José.  
"It wasn't a scene of jealousy I don't... do those things."  
"Okay, but it seemed so"  
"And how did you meet _Estefanía_?"  
"I saw her in a bar a few nights ago," Chris began, "and she looked so... alone. So I asked her if she wanted some company and we chatted for a while. She told me that probably was going to spend her birthday alone so I convinced her to spend it with us."  
Zulema narrowed her eyes and smiled "how cute" she said sarcastically.  
"You shouldn't let her go around alone, you know, they could steal her for how beautiful she is."  
"Oh come on Chris, stop it." Maca said laughing.  
"Well, however, she is not alone" Zulema leaned an arm behind Maca's chair "I'm here."  
"Maybe putting a ring on her finger would be a great start," Chris winked at her.  
"A ring has never stopped anyone from trying," Zulema replied, "and we don't need chains to hold us together."  
“Rings are not chains.”  
“Chains are made of rings.”  
Chris raised his hands in surrender "Relax, I was just kidding."  
A cake was brought to their table."Let's sing happy birthday to you, yeah?" Josè suggested.  
"It's better not" Maca replied "I don't like having attention on me and would turn the whole place to look."  
"Yeah, let's move on to the important part" Zulema took her lighter out of her pocket and lit the candle that was on the cake.  
"Remember to make a wish," Chris reminded her.  
Maca smiled, closed her eyes and blew out the candle."Happy birthday!" the two men exclaimed in unison.  
"Thank you.”  
"Feliz Cumple, Rubia."  
The blonde turned to look at Zulema for what seemed an infinite moment."Thank you."  
"What did you wished for?"  
"You do not say!" Josè interrupted.  
"I know you fought but you can at least give each other a kiss just for good wishes, right?" Chris suggested.  
"No!" "What?" they answered in unison.  
"We don't do things like that," said Zulema "...in front of others." concluded.  
"Of course not, you just make jealousy scenes in front of others."  
"Stop joking with me, cariño ."  
"Zelda, please" Maca whispered "oye, go ahead okay?"  
She took the car keys from her bag and handed them to her "I'll join you."  
  
Zulema had been waiting for her in the car for a few minutes when she finally saw the figure of the blonde approaching the car.  
"I hope you know that you can’t never see them again,"  
Zulema said as Maca got into the car.  
"I know, I know."  
"Since when do you make friends? Joder... it was better they were just any two guys to fuck."  
"I've told you a thousand times, Zulema, I'm not like you. Sometimes I need something beyond the physical. If a super cute gay guy cares about why I'm alone in a bar, he offers me a drink and chat with me can only please me. "  
"Why did not you tell me?"  
“What?”  
“That you were going out with them. I would never have followed you if you had told me."  
Maca rolled her eyes "sometimes I just don't understand you, you know? You say you don't give a damn and then you even follow me. What's your problem?"  
"I do not have any problem."  
"Sure" she laughed "maybe Chris is right, maybe you're just jealous."  
"I am not jealous."  
"So what was that scene when we were leaving the club? Saying you were my girlfriend, why intervene? You know I can handle it."  
"It was just protecting my territory. Like wolves shredding anyone to defend it."  
"But I'm not a territory, Zulema."  
"Look, at that moment I felt I had to do it, end of the story" she started the engine  
"I think living together is confusing me." She hit the accelerator too hard.  
"Confusing in what way?"  
"I can't stand you but at the same time you are the only person who knows me for who I really am and I don't want to find another one."  
Maca was silent.  
"And it wasn't jealousy or I would have come to get you every other night you went out" continued Zulema "it was just to avoid something from happening to you: my territory was in danger, I defended it."  
"The wolf in you was wrong though," Maca smiled "I was not in danger."  
Zulema shook her head and smiled "well i liked to be sure."  
"Would you also like to be thanked for caring about someone other than yourself?"  
The brunette shrugged "it seems like the least."  
Maca slapped her shoulder and Zulema smiled "what did you wished for when you blow on the candle, Rubia?"  
"Nothing."  
"I want to know it"  
"Seriously, nothing."  
Zulema glanced at her  
"Do you want to tell me that you didn't want to get rid of me as soon as possible? To have a normal life and leave all this behind?"  
"Is that what you want to hear?"  
"Is the truth."  
"The truth is relative, Zulema. And for the moment I'm exactly where I want to be."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any good or negative comment is appreciated, they keep me motivated <3


	7. La última noche del mundo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the last night Zule and Maca spend together before the others join them for the latest heist.  
> Assuming this scene was the first day the girls joined them in the van, it's exactly based on the night before.  
>   
>   
> Zulema's necklace is important.  
> Everything that has happened before counts, including the 1x07 VAN SCENE.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said it was just a collection of missing moments that could complete the holes left by El Oasis, while remaining in the canon. But I let myself go a little. Let's say that if this scene had been there, something in El Oasis would have been different.  
> I hope you don't mind.

  
  
"Desires must be asked to people, Rubia, not to the stars."  
"Who told you I was wishing for something?" she turned to look down from the van, from where Zulema was talking to her "you've been staring at the sky for a good five minutes."  
"I was just lost in thoughts" she replied "And anyway you look at me while I'm distracted?"  
"I had just walked out and it made me laugh to see you dazed there."  
Maca smiled and looked up at the sky above them "... why don't you come up here?"  
Zulema smiled "since when do you want to spend time with me?"  
"It's our last night ..."  
Zulema thought she sensed _sadness_ in Maca's tone.  
She joined her on top of the van.  
"Second thoughts on the last big robbery?"  
"No."  
"About leaving?"  
Maca did not answer. She didn't even know how to answer, actually. This attitude was not like her. Leaving was the right thing, she knew this.  
"It's ok have some doubts," Zulema began, sitting in the deck chair next to Maca's, "you've had a pretty busy life in the last few years. It's normal want to take a break and feel a little sad because you will become a boring person like any other. "  
The blonde smiled. Zulema never knew how to give her a serious speech in full, she always had to tone it down with irony and jokes.  
"You don't necessarily have to say something, we never needed words."  
It was true. It had always been enough for them to stand by in silence.  
Zulema shrugged "but it takes one last big speech before leaving, right?"  
"It didn't seem like a great speech."  
"Because you don't understand anything."  
_But I've always understood even the things you don't say, and what lies behind your every expression ?_! Maca thought.  
"What will you do?" she asked instead.  
The brunette laughed "and since when do you worry about me?"  
"It's just curiosity."  
"Just as it was curiosity when you came to get me out of jail."  
"Exactly."  
"You know what they say, no? Curiosity killed the cat."  
Maca smiled "I knew what I was getting into when I came to get you."  
"Really? Because no one marks his enemy's release date from prison."  
Zulema's tone had become far too serious. She almost looked angry. And Maca wasn't exactly sure what it was due to.  
"You are not my enemy, Zulema."  
"And what am I?"  
"Anything but that."  
"Define anything."  
"I don't know, okay? Or I wouldn't be here having second thoughts."  
Zulema smiled "leaving is the best thing, trust me. Honestly I am surprised that you have resisted so long."  
"Joder, can you stop with irony for just a second?"  
"No, Rubia, because you're boring with your serious talk."  
"I think you are afraid of a serious speech."  
"Fear is not a thing in my DNA."  
Maca did not answer. She didn't want to argue with Zulema that night.  
"What if I can't do it alone?" she asked after a moment of silence.  
Zulema looked away from the sky just to look at her: "Are you serious?"  
Maca's silence was a confirmation.  
The brunette looked back at the sky "Maca, if you ever have to think even a second of not making it, cling to the thought that you survived prison and a _hija de puta_ like me."  
She smiled even at hearing her name uttered by Zulema. She rarely called her Maca. And this made her think that perhaps, for once, Zulema was taking a serious conversation.  
"I don't know ..." Maca replied "I don't know if I can survive without someone who continually encourages me to do so."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You made me who I am Zulema, without you ..."  
"Don't say that."  
"What?"  
"Don't say bullshit like 'without you I don't know who I am' "  
Maca swallowed "okay"  
"You were going to say it right?"  
"I-"  
" _Joder_ Rubia!" She got up from the deck chair with a click "where the fuck is this from?"  
"I don't know, I - it's just how I feel right now."  
"And does it seem ok to you? What is it, we fuck once and you think we'll end up falling in love?"  
"I never said that!"  
"No but it seems that you are expecting an excuse not to leave. Do I have to remind you that it was your choice?"  
Zulema's tone was far too angry. Maca didn't think she could make her so angry by saying what she was feeling at that moment. She wasn't expecting anything, she just wanted to let her know because she wouldn't have another chance. There would be no more moments like that.  
"I will never ask you to stay," Zulema added. But Maca already knew that. She hadn't even hoped for that request.  
She got up from the deck chair too and silently walked to the stairs to go down "I just wanted to say that I don't think I'm the criminal I am, without you."  
"And isn't it better?"  
"I don't know. What if I'm nothing more than that?"  
Without waiting for an answer, she got off the van roof. It was as if there air had become heavy and unbreathable around there, despite being outdoors.  
  
She went back into the van, took off her shoes and jacket, and lay down on the bed.  
Enough with thoughts, Zulema was right: she had made up her mind. And she was free to change her mind and decide to stay, once again.  
Somehow she had always chosen Zulema. She had chosen her when she went to get her out of jail, she had chosen her when she showed up at the laundry to ask her to do robberies together, she had chosen her every day that she returned to that van despite all the arguments.  
But she could no longer continue to do so.  
Her baby deserved more of that life, even though she still didn't know how to give it to him.  
The van door opened, and Maca heard Zulema's footsteps as she entered.  
She turned over in bed just to look at her "can you come here for a moment?"  
The brunette shook her head as she took off her jacket "I'm not a cuddle girl, you know."  
"I just want you to lie down in front of me."  
Zulema snorted, sat on the bed to take off her boots and then lay down in front of Maca.  
Maca pushed back the tufts of her fringe "I think we should have had one last breakfast, one last lunch, one last dinner. Maybe sleep together one last time because there won't be another _something_."  
Zulema hinted a smile "what's up, Rubia? The first time I showed you this van, you told me not to bring any animals that would keep us together, so you won't be too sorry when it's over."  
"Yeah. Apparently I didn't need an animal to be sorry."  
The brunette settled on her stomach "you're too sentimental, Rubita."  
Maca stepped over Zulema and got out of bed to reach one of the wardrobe. She took a box hidden among the clothes and went back to Zulema.  
She sat astride her and the brunette didn't protest.  
"Get up a little and close your eyes."  
Zulema sat up, placing her hands on the bed to be able to support Maca's weight too "if you kiss me, I swear I'll kill you."  
The blonde laughed and, as soon as Zulema closed her eyes, opened the box.  
  
The brunette felt something cold pass around her neck "I got you something" Maca told her "since I have the polaroid that will remind me of you, you too will have something that will remind you of me."  
Zulema swallowed. The time she had left was too little to forget about Maca. She had no chance of growing old without her memory.  
She opened her eyes when she heard a small click and saw a bolt in Maca's hands, closing the two ends of a chain around her neck. She laughed "what are you doing, you want to put me under lock?"  
"The idea of carrying the key with me has crossed my mind, you know, just to make sure that anyone who crosses your path knows that you already belong to someone."  
"And did you really think I would wear this thing and never take it off? What the fuck am I a dog?"  
"No, that's why I thought it would be better to carry with me the thought that you can choose to wear it every day or not" she said, taking a small key from the same box "and that you will always choose to wear it" she handed her the key and Zulema stared at the small object for a few seconds before picking it up and throwing it. There was a small noise from the other side of the van "I think I'll keep it for now."  
"Did you like it?" Maca smiled.  
Zulema didn't answer, but wrapped her arms around Maca and pulled her over as she lay down.  
Maca settled better as Zulema held her tightly in her arms. She brought her face into the crook of the woman's neck and inhaled.  
Her smell.  
She hadn't thought she would miss that too, along with everything else.  
She felt like crying to think of all those insignificant things that now seemed like the end of the world.  
"Thank you," Zulema whispered, stroking her hair.  
Maca smiled and squeezed her tighter, praying that time would stop at that moment so that it would never come to the day when she had to let her go.


	8. Your laugh.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based a little after the New Year's events in 1x07.  
> I think Zulema in El Oasis is a bit "off", and I wanted to imagine why. Plus I don't think Maca is as stupid or compliant as in El Oasis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments, they melted my heart <3  
>   
> But when you like a chapter so much, I'm always afraid that the one that follows is not up to par ... I hope you'll like it lol  
>   
> In the meantime I want to explain some things because I noticed a little bit of confusion:  
> 1) This collection of one-shots fills the time Maca and Zule lived together before El Oasis, so I will never make it to the end of the series. Which means, in this collection you never get to the point where Zulema dies.  
> 2) the one-shots are not in chronological order, they are in order of how I get the inspiration. This is why I always specify the time period where they are based.  
> 3) I try to balance angst and fluff in each chapter to make them as real as possible. Things aren't always bad or always good, it's a continuous in-beetween.  
> 

When Maca woke up, she was surprised to see Zulema still asleep next to her, belly down with her arm as a pillow.  
The brunette always told her that at night she would rub the pillow to hug it, and that one day she would suffocate her with that same pillow. But she never did, and she always reduced herself to sleeping on her arm.  
She had never woken up with Zulema beside her. She was always already up, somewhere doing something.  
This morning something was wrong. It had been there for days and today it was just a confirmation.  
Maca shook her a little and Zulema made a grotesque sound.  
"I've left you alone until now, but at least can you tell me today what's up to you? It's not like you to sleep late."  
Zulema rolled onto her stomach and sighed  
"Relax, Rubia, I was just more sleepy than usual."  
"But that's not true. Because in all this time together I've never woken up once with you next to me."  
"There's a first time for everything."  
Maca shook her head "you have something wrong, Zulema, and you've had it for days."  
"Did just being here when you wake up really made you think this?"  
"No, it's since you bought the trampoline. And then the Polaroid you gave me. And the fact that you indulged in drugs."  
"It must have been a struggle to put all this together for your little brain."  
"Joder stop! Why are you letting yourself go like this? You don't spend money on random bullshit. You don't try drugs just because I ask you to and you don't give me a gift so I can remember you. What the fuck is going on?" "  
"None of your business," she replied turning on her side and turning her back to Maca.  
"But I really think they are," she said, passing Zulema and lying down in front of her, "do you remember when at the bingo robbery you recited the words of weddings? _In sickness and in health_?"  
Zulema simply stared at Maca.  
"Well I believe it, okay?"  
"But you're always telling me that this marriage will end sooner or later."  
"I believe in that too. But all in good time, right? And we're together at the moment. So talk to me."  
The brunette sighed and closed her eyes "leave me alone, please."  
Maca took the pillow behind Zulema and hit her right in the face  
"my god since when you say _please_? What the fuck have you done with Zulema?"  
"I don't feel like kicking you out of bed today."  
"And maybe I feel like it huh?"  
Zulema smiled "you just want to piss me off so that I react."  
But she didn't want to get pissed off anymore. There was no reason to fight back or scream. Her ending was already written, and by now she had reached a sort of resignation. She just wanted to be quiet. But she didn't expect Maca to understand this.  
"But since when are you so boring?" She rolled his eyes.  
"You know, once you would have begged me to be so quiet. You're trying in every way to piss me off."  
Maca didn't want to piss her off, just make her talk. Although the line between the two had always been thin when Zulema was involved.  
She pushed her legs against those of the brunette until they fit together.  
"Either you tell me what's wrong with you or you get up and go back to being the Zulema ever."  
The brunette looked at her “is it a threat?"  
"Yes."  
"You've gotten a little too daring, Rubia" she jumped up only to settle on top of Maca, her legs on either side of her hips, as well as her hands on the sides of her head "do I have to remind you who I am?"  
The blonde burst out laughing in her face "do you think you still scare me, after all this time?"  
"I don't think so. I know."  
"You are an open book to me."  
"It's not true."  
"But yes, I am too for you. And I know you don't like it. But we only have each other."  
"And?"  
"And if there is one person you can talk to and who perhaps wants to help you, it's me."  
"I have nothing to say to you."  
Maca smiled "typical" snorted.  
"Look, it doesn't take me anything to wipe that smile off your face."  
"I'm really curious to see how you're gonna do it."  
Zulema brought her face close to Maca's so that she could feel the other's breathing on her skin.  
Then she snapped two fingers against Maca's forehead "you would like it, _puta_ " she said, finally getting out of bed.  
The blonde swallowed. She knew that what happened on New Year's eve should never happen again, that it was just a mistake in the euphoria of drugs and adrenaline. Yet having Zulema close kept her wanting a second round. Maybe even a third, a quarter ... _a hundred._  
She shook her head to push those thoughts away.  
"Then?" Zulema's voice asked.  
"What?"  
"I told you to get up, I'm making coffee. See? you don't listen to me when I speak"  
Maca smiled. Zulema seemed to have come to her senses, at least for the moment.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was almost evening when Zulema was disturbed from reading her book by shots coming from the roof of the van.  
She went out "can I know what the fuck are you doing?"  
"I was calling you! Get in, there's a beautiful sunset."  
Zulema shook her head in disbelief, went inside to take the lighter and cigarettes and climbed the ladder to the van roof.  
She turned to the horizon.  
_However_. She had to admit it was pretty good. The sun was setting behind the clouds, painting the sky orange with shades of pink. While above it was purple until it became a darker blue.  
"The best thing about this place is the sunsets," Maca said.  
"The only problem is having to see them with you."  
In response, Maca gave her a little kick.  
Zulema laughed "what are you doing you want to bring me down?"  
"It's a great idea."  
"Oh yeah? And what do you do without me?"  
"Surely there would be some silence and not that terrible music you listen to. Or your books lying around. Your clothes taking up half the closet."  
Zulema's smile disappeared. _Very soon you won't have to worry about these things anymore_. She thought but didn't say it out loud. How could she? What was she supposed to tell her?  
"Zulema?"  
"Mmh?"  
"I asked you if you can give me a cigarette."  
The brunette threw the package at her and then sat down next to her, passing her the lighter.  
"But why shouldn't the sunset last longer? Why should I have hours and hours of useless blue skies?"  
"Just think, if it were always sunset, you would complain about the opposite."  
Maca seemed to think about it "I guess it's true" took a drag on the cigarette.  
"Of course it is. Because you only know how to complain."  
"Gne, gne, gne" Maca said to her.  
Zulema rolled her eyes and smiled. Sometimes it felt like she was really dealing with a little girl.  
"Why don't you take a picture? It will last longer."  
Maca passed the cigarette to Zulema, got up immediately and ran out of the van only to return shortly afterwards with the Polaroid in hand.  
"Why the Polaroid and not the phone?" Asked the brunette.  
"It was the first thing at hand."  
She stopped in the center of the van and snapped. Shortly thereafter, a photo came out that didn't exactly depict the sunset they were seeing. It was much darker and more damaged.  
"But how stupid are you, Rubia? It was obvious that it was like that." She laughed, putting out his cigarette on the roof and knocking it down into the ground.  
"How many times have I told you not to throw your butts on the ground? You live in this place, coño. It's not a pigsty."  
"Relax, I'll take it as soon as we get off."  
"We have to take another momento photo since I only took the polaroid," she said, reaching Zulema and standing in front of her.  
"No hey what the fuck are you doing" she covered her face with her hands.  
"You told me it was to remember our time together, do you think that one photo we took on New Year's Eve is enough?"  
Zulema got up to escape Maca but the blonde quickly grabbed her wrist, holding her, while with the other hand she took a shoot.  
The brunette did not stop moving for a moment to be able to free herself.  
"Stop the fuck," Maca said, but Zulema put a foot between her to make her fall back but Maca dragged her down with her.  
"What the fuck are you doing, _puta_ , it's very dangerous"  
"Put that polaroid down"  
But Maca didn't want to give up. She placed herself on top of Zulema's legs, pinning her, and began to tickle her hips.  
The brunette writhed under that touch and laugh.  
It was now or never.  
Maca grasped the Polaroid with one hand and raised it in front of Zulema's face, but she managed to cover half her face with one hand while she continued to laugh.  
The photo that came out shortly after was beautiful despite being a bit blurry: Zulema was laughing and behind her the colors of the sunset could be seen.  
Maca smiled at her "this is the only proof that Zulema Zahir actually knows how to laugh"  
Zulema snatched it from her hands "it will be burned."  
"You can't do it it's mine!"  
"I can't risk my reputation," she said, knocking her off the roof.  
Maca immediately got up and ran down to retrieve the photo.  
Zulema followed shortly after.  
  
  
  
When she got back into the van she found the blonde writing something on the photo she had taken of her earlier.  
"Are you drawing me mustache or horns?" Zulema asked.  
Maca showed her the photo which now showed a _Zulema_ on the white border.  
"I have photos to not forget your face but what if I should forget your name?" Maca said.  
Zulema became sad at those words "you don't forget a name like mine. And you know it."  
The blonde shrugged and scrutinized Zulema's face "you know, I don't know what's happening to you but I know you don't want to tell me. And it’s okay, we don't have to share everything" she said, opening one of the kitchen drawers and taking out a small notebook ". for some reason you have developed a strange obsession with the possibility of me forgetting about you " she opened it and Zulema saw the picture they took together on New Year's Eve " but it won't happen, okay? And if when I'm old I get Alzheimer's, I will have everything I need to remind myself of the greatest hija de puta of all " she put the photo of Zulema on top of the other, stared at it for a moment " and of her laugh " closed the small notebook and put it back in the drawer.  
She looked at Zulema who smiled and moved a little closer to Maca "one of these days you have to lend me the polaroid" she said, arranging one lock of hair behind the ear "I don't want to forget this pretty face."  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> I also did a stupid fanart to get you the idea of that photo ... <3  
> 


	9. Don't cry no tears now, it's Christmas, baby.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the response in the last chapter! This shot doesn't measure up to the last two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It takes place on the very first Christmas ever that Maca and Zule spend together

  
  
  
Zulema woke up from mild pain in the back of her head. It was like she was sleeping in something so hard.  
She reached a hand close to her head in search of the pillow that had surely moved during the night, but found nothing.  
She snorted and opened her eyes to see where she was.  
She looked around and there she was, right under Maca's body. The blonde was hugging her pillow like a sloth to a tree.  
Zulema rolled her eyes. The day had started since 13 seconds and she was already tired.  
  
  
She pushed the blonde off the bed and she fell to the floor with a thud even though the pillow had cushioned the fall.  
She woke up immediately, not understanding what had happened.  
"So you learn to screw your pillow, coño," Zulema said.  
Maca blinked a few times before realizing she was on the floor.  
"What the fuck are you doing?" she said sitting up.  
"You've been rubbing my pillow since the first night, you have to stop."  
"This is because you insist on not buying another one."  
"Why do I have to buy another one when they gave us one big enough for both of us?"  
"Because apparently my subconscious needs to hug something while it sleeps."  
"You're pathetic" she said, getting out of bed "if you continue like this I'll suffocate you with that pillow, believe me" she headed towards the kitchen corner.  
Maca got up from the floor, placed the pillow on the bed and picked up the phone she had left to charge all night.  
_07:43. Wednesday 22 December._  
  
"Do you know what day it is today?" She went and sat down at the small table under the window.  
"Wednesday December 22?" Zulema answered.  
"Two days to go before Christmas Eve."  
The brunette glanced at her "and?"  
"Um I don't know we should kind of do something? Look at this place, it doesn't even have a little Christmas air."  
"And I like it that way."  
"But I do not like it."  
"Flash news: I don't give a shit," she said, filling two cups of coffee.  
She brought them both to the table, placed one in front of Maca and then sat down.  
"It's both home, you know, can't decide only you."  
"And when we disagree how do you do it? Who wins? Because someone has to win."  
"Let's try to meet halfway."  
"Define halfway."  
Maca took a sip of coffee "I like Christmas decorations, you don't. We could just put some decorations for me and leave the rest empty for you."  
Zulema seemed to think about it "I think you want to cheat me, you know"  
"How?"  
"If I give you a decoration, you win."  
"But I'll leave the rest of the van as it is, so you win too."  
"Well, what would you like to take?"  
"Simple lights."  
Zulema smiled "I wouldn't hate them that much."  
"Shall we go and buy them then?"  
  
  
  
  
Arriving at the store, Maca was like a little girl lost in her world. She was excited by every Christmas decoration she saw, and Zulema just didn't understand why.  
But she had to admit that she was amused by the blonde's enthusiasm for such stupid things.  
Maca stood in front and an all-white mini Christmas tree "is perfect!" she exclaimed, then looking at Zulema "can we take it, please?"  
"Absolutely not, we had an agreement. We'll just get the lights."  
Maca was sad "you know, when I was little our tradition was to make the Christmas tree with the whole family while we listened to Christmas songs. And when we grew up and left home, my brother and I came home a few days earlier Christmas just to make the tree all together. "  
Zulema rolled her eyes "one day"  
"What?"  
"You can have the tree for one day only."  
Maca smiled. She would have convinced Zulema to keep it at least until New Year. But she could very well do it once the tree was home.  
"Thank you!"  
"Let's find these lights and get out of here before you find a story for every single Christmas bullshit."  
  
But Maca bought balls and lights for the little tree, some mistletoe leaves and two horrible sweaters, one green and one red, with the face of a reindeer printed on them.  
Back in the van, Maca left the purchases on the floor and took care of carefully selecting the Christmas songs to play.  
Zulema had settled into bed to continue reading her book when the first notes of _White Christmas_ filled the van.  
"Aren't you coming to help me?"  
"Look, you have your decorations, your tree and your shitty music leave me out of this."  
Maca shrugged. After all, she didn't care that Zulema was involved.  
She put on the green sweater and threw the other one in the bed next to Zulema "it's yours, even if you won't wear it."  
The brunette did not answer.  
Maca began to arrange the mistletoe over the door and then the lights on the window when a strange feeling knotted in her stomach.  
She tried not to think about it. It was probably just a little nostalgia. But as a choking sensation settled on her chest, she wondered if this was how nostalgia should make you feel.  
In prison she had tried it often and did not remember it was exactly like this.  
Her heart had begun to pound and she felt like she was dizzy. The air had become unbreathable so she ran out.  
She seemed to go crazy, she had no idea what to do so she sat on the ground and curled up on herself, closing her eyes. Praying whatever it was would leave her alone.  
"Hey," called a voice.  
Maca opened her eyes only to find Zulema in front of her.  
"I-I'm going to --- die," Maca mumbled.  
"No. Listen, I'm gonna touch you now, okay?"  
The blonde nodded slowly and Zulema took her face with both hands "breathe with me, okay? One"  
Zulema took a deep breath and Maca followed suit. Then they both exhaled.  
"Two"  
they did the same process as before and slowly came to count to ten.  
Maca seemed to have calmed down.  
"Are you ok?" Zulema asked, removing her hands from Maca's face.  
"I think so. I didn't understand what happened"  
"I think it was a panic attack."  
"Oh"  
"What did you thought? You seemed pretty calm and happy."  
"To my family."  
"I thought you were doing it for them."  
"I remembered that they are gone and that recreating that Christmas atmosphere won't bring them back."  
Zulema sighed "listen, I think Christmas is a big bullshit, but I also think the past is past. And even the worst memories are part of the past. You always have to start from where you are."  
"I'm sorry."  
"For what?"  
"I was so busy recreating my Christmas that I didn't think about what it was for you."  
Zulema smiled "it means nothing to me, don't worry. Instead, you should create your own and not live on memories."  
"But Christmas is tradition, Zulema."  
"Perfect, then start your traditions. Only yours."  
Maca sighed "I don't know if I like it."  
"In the meantime, get up and go back inside, it’s cold, you'll think about it later."  
Zulema got to her feet, immediately followed by Maca who only then noticed the terrible red sweater with the reindeer print. She was wearing it.  
She burst out laughing "then you like it."  
Zulema looked at the sweater and then looked at Maca "it was the first thing at hand, I didn't even know where the jacket was."  
"Ouwh! Were you worried about me?"  
"Nah, it was just curiosity."  
"Ah of course."  
They started to go inside but Maca stopped Zulema right under the van door "look" pointed over their heads.  
Zulema saw the mistletoe "you did it on purpose!"  
"I did it because it's a decoration that is used for doors! I didn’t doing it on purpose to kiss you, I don't care."  
she was walking back into the van when she felt a grip on her arm pull her back. She found herself a few centimeters from Zulema's face "it’s bad luck not to kiss the person with whom you find yourself under the mistletoe" she whispered.  
"And since when are you superstitious?"  
"I'm not, but better not risk it, right?"  
Maca smiled "who is it that wants to kiss who?"  
Zulema took great care to kiss her in the corner of the mouth, then walked away.  
"Too scared for a real kiss?" Maca mocked her.  
"A real kiss is too intimate, don't you think?"  
Maca laughed "who the fuck are you Pretty Woman?"  
"You are all romantic, don't you take a kiss seriously?"  
The blonde shrugged "I once read that a kiss is just a kiss, until you give it to the right person."  
Zulema narrowed her eyes "are you trying to tell me something?"  
"No, relax. I didn't want to be kissed by you anyway."  
Zulema smiled. _Of course..._  
  
  
  
When she was back inside, Maca paused to stare at all the Christmas things she had left there. She no longer felt like doing anything.  
Zulema took Maca's cell phone and changed song "new traditions must start with a new soundtrack."  
"What song is it?"  
"It's part of a brand new Christmas album, no old songs that will make you sick."  
"I don't feel like it any more."  
"You will help me to fix the lights on the windows and then, if you don't feel like it anymore, you won't have to do anything, okay?"  
"Now do you want the lights at any cost?"  
"I told you I didn't mind."  
So, Maca helped Zulema with the lights.  
  
"You know, I understand what you are trying to do" Maca said while holding the end of a thread that Zulema was staring at on the other side of the wall "but how many Christmases do you think we will spend together? You want me to find new traditions with yet another person who won't be with me one day anyway. "  
"Maca."  
"What does it mean?"  
"Maca."  
"What?"  
"Always start where you are," she said, approaching Maca and taking the lights from her hands to fix them to the wall.  
"I'm here with you now," Maca replied.  
"So, start from here and with me. And don't get obsessed on things" she turned to look at her "you are in the present. Not in the future and not in the past, worry about where you are."  
Maca smiled "okay, do you know what I'm worried about? That it's Christmas and there are no gingerbread cookies."  
"Fortunately for you I can do them."  
"I do not believe it."  
"I can do so many things you don't know." She provoked her.  
Maca rolled her eyes "this response was so predictable."  
"We have to go and buy the ingredients for the dough, though. I'll finish here and then we’ll go, okay? "  
The blonde nodded and watched her arrange the lights "Zulema?"  
"Mmh?"  
"I know you told me to live in the present, but I hope in another Christmas with these songs, the lights, gingerbread cookies and... you wearing a horrible sweater."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I already took a request of an alternative El Oasis ending (you can find it on my profile) so, if you want to suggest any other idea i'm here <3


	10. Something greater than love.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based the day after their first (and last?) time. After Zulema tells Maca she has thought about the next shot.  
> I think they need to talk and I also wanted to explain why in all my fic posts 1x07 they are always perfectly at ease with each other's body and there is no tension or embarrassment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks always for the comments, I don't have time to reply to each of you but they are really much appreciated <3

  


Maca sat on the outside bench while Zulema stood illustrating the next shot.  
"Rubia, are you listening to me?"  
Maca blinked and nodded softly.  
Zulema walked over and gave her a little slap "wake up puta."  
"Joder what the fuck are you doing"  
"You're sleeping while I explain the plan for the next shot and it pisses me off a lot."  
"I'm very tired, okay?"  
"Did you get little sleep last night?" she asked with a smirk.  
For Maca it was as if the night had never been there. One moment she was fucking with Zulema and the next she woke up in an empty bed for the sound of the gunshots. She wasn't even sure she had slept an hour, she seemed to have just blinked. And surely the drug dose hadn't helped. Neither to rest nor to forget.  
"Why did you leave immediately after?"  
"I didn't go away, you just fell asleep and I honestly don't blame you. I'm challenging."  
"But you said that sex between women is overrated!?" Laughed the blonde.  
Zulema shrugged "maybe you're not good at it."  
"Or maybe it's you who belittles everything so as not to admit that you liked it."  
The brunette laughed "keep repeating it if you like."  
"You know, it won't change anything if you say it was good after all, right? We'll pretend it didn't happen and obviously it won't happen again, but to admit it would be simple honesty."  
"Should I admit it? Why don't we talk about you, _Miss it's normal that you were clumsy_ but the screams from the orgasms I gave you drowned out the volume of the music."  
If they were in a cartoon, Maca's jaw would have fallen to the ground.  
"Everything is magnified when you take drugs."  
Zulema laughed "why don't you want to admit it?"  
Maca rolled her eyes "and alright you know what? I want to be the adult of the situation so yes I liked it."  
"Take back that I was clumsy."  
"OR?"  
Zulema approached her "or I can show you that I'm not, you know, maybe the drug has confused you a bit."  
"And how would you like to prove it?"  
Zulema smiled "You think you're smart, right? But it doesn't work that way. It won't happen again. And you know why."  
"Why are you afraid?"  
"Fear of what?"  
"To feel something."  
Zulema burst out laughing "What the fuck are you saying? My god, Maca, I don't even like you. You were there looking at me with despair painted on your face, I was high and I needed to release the adrenaline so it happened. End of story."  
Maca hastened to laugh "You fell for it! Your face was worth it."  
Zulema pushed her and smiled "you're becoming like me, Rubia."  
"Better than you."  
"This is impossible."  
Maca smiled.  
"Go and rest, I'll explain the plan later."  
  
Maca sighed as she entered the van.  
Zulema's words had hurt her, but what did she thought? That Zulema would tell her _I have feelings for you_ and kiss her like in the movies? She felt like she was going crazy. She had been so stupid.  
Zulema would never admit it but she shouldn't be discouraged. The woman had other ways of showing that okay, maybe she didn't feel anything and she didn't like Maca. But she cared a little. Coffee ready in the morning. The sky in the ceiling. The Polaroid from last night. Zulema did little things she had never done for anyone else.  
  
And they never talked about it but something had changed. Like wearing each other's clothes, touching each other without embarrassment, feeling comfortable when they were silent.  
Zulema had never been good at expressing what she felt, and she was too good at saying petty words to turn people away.  
And Maca knew it. The time they spent together was enough to know each other's behaviors.  
It wasn't the words that mattered, but the facts. Also because they couldn't even enclose their relationship in one word.  
  
Love, for example, was a strange word. It was too strong but so very weak. Love was big for them but not enough at the same time.  
It was not love that bound them. It was more. Something they still had to come up with a name for. Because you don’t fall in love with those who hurt you. You run away from people like that, you don't go back to looking for them. So Maca wanted to tell Zulema that it didn't matter to never have sex again or suppress feelings, this thing would never go away. But how do you explain something greater than love to those who seem to have never felt love?  
  
Maca fell asleep wondering what she should do.  
  
When she woke it was already evening. She sat on the bed for a moment and looked around. Zulema had gone out or was on the roof.  
She got out of the van "are you there?" she asked in the dark illuminated only by the lights outside.  
"Up here."  
Maca went up the stairs to the roof and found her there, in her deck chair with her eyes fixed on the sky.  
She took the other chair and placed it behind Zulema's, sitting in the opposite direction.  
"What? are you mad at me?" Zulema asked.  
"No, but it's evening ... better if we watch our backs."  
"Is this a reference to last night?"  
Maca do not answer, so Zulema got up and placed the chair next to Maca's, keeping it in the opposite direction. So she could watch her.  
She sat down again.  
"Are you scared?" She asked, taking a cigarette and lighting it.  
"No, I just don't want to kill again."  
Zulema nodded slowly "why did you save me?"  
"What kind of question is it?"  
"We have a deal you and I, don't we? _Every man who stays behind, is left behind_."  
Maca frowned "you were not left behind, they were literally raping you. And I thought it was only valid in case something went wrong during the robberies."  
"That's true, in fact. When I told you that, I didn't think we'd ever find ourselves in yesterday's situation."  
"And let's hope it never happens again."  
Zulema handed her the cigarette and Maca took it.  
"Were you afraid yesterday?" asked the brunette.  
“ I killed them without any mercy."  
"I didn't mean that. Were you afraid _before_? While that bastard was on top of you?"  
Maca swallowed "I was more afraid when I got up and saw you there ... on the ground with those two on top ..."  
Zulema smiled "afraid of losing me, Rubia?"  
Maca passed her the cigarette and then looked at the sky "is it weird if I say yes? And if I say that seeing those guys trying to hurt you made me want to kill them?"  
"Funny. Once you would have killed me with your hands and now you kill for me."  
She looked at her "wouldn't you do the same?"  
"Naaah."  
Maca hit her softly on the arm "what a bitch."  
Zulema burst out laughing and then they fell silent.  
"Do you really need to ask?" The brunette said after a while.  
Maca smiled and as she took the cigarette from Zulema's hand, she intertwined their fingers.  
She took the cigarette with her other hand, leaving her right intertwined with Zulema's.  
The brunette said nothing and just looked up while enjoying that contact.  
"Were you afraid?" Maca asked.  
Zulema did not look away from the carpet of stars "no, I knew it wasn't my time yet."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
She shrugged "I felt I wasn't going to die," she replied, "and even if I die, I'll return as a ghost and haunt you for the rest of your life."  
"Aaw you are so obsessed with me."  
Zulema looked at her and smiled "I would just do it to drive you crazy, you know, open the doors, make things fall to the ground, make chairs turn in the air."  
Maca chuckled "even dead you have to bother me?"  
Zulema fell silent and untangled her hand from Maca's grip.  
The blonde stubbed out the cigarette butt under the sole of her shoe.  
"Well anyway it was good to fuck, don't you think? The embarrassment is gone." Zulema said.  
_Oh yeah, totally gone._  
  
"Totally."  
"We don't have to pretend it didn't happen. We are two beautiful, exciting women and we needed to release the tension. It's normal that it happened."  
Maca nodded.  
"But it won't happen again" Zulema continued "because it could complicate things, don't you think?"  
"How could it complicate things?"  
"We're two messed up people, Maca, and fucking always complicates things."  
And not that it hadn't already complicated them. But would it have helped to say that? No. Zulema would only have rejected Maca. Once again. Feelings were not contemplated.  
  
"All right, it won't happen again."  
Zulema got up from her chair "let's go back inside now."  
"I'll stay a little longer if you don't mind."  
"I don't want you to be out alone at night."  
"So what? I'll never be able to go out again unless under your supervision?" She asked irritably.  
"No, I'm just saying I don't want you to be out here alone. You can go wherever the fuck you want."  
"And so why?"  
Zulema rolled her eyes "because bad things happen, we had proof yesterday, right?"  
Maca smiled. Zulema was worried about her, as always.  
She got up from her chair and followed Zulema off the roof.  
Things were already complicated, they both knew it. But perhaps it was better to continue living by pretending nothing happened and hoping that over time, that strange thing that bound them would fade away.


	11. Important for el elfo del puto infierno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved the idea of Zulema carrying Maca and this is what came out

"ZULEMA GO AWAY!" She yelled at her once again.  
"Stop that!"  
"They'll get you too if you don't leave immediately."  
But she would never leave her. It was out of the question. It doesnt amatter how many times they'd told each other that if something went wrong, one would leave the other behind. Things were not supposed to go wrong, end of story.  
"I think I can carry you." Zulema said, looking at Maca's wound once more.  
  
_Ten minutes earlier.  
Someone in that jewelry had managed to call the police and Maca and Zulema had run away as soon as they heard the sirens.  
They were running through a wood to reach the other side of the road where they had left the car when a shot was heard and Maca fell to the ground.  
Zulema paused, inhaled and hoped to find the blonde alive before turning around.  
And here was Maca lying on the ground cursing in pain. She walked up to her and looked around to see where the shot had come from.  
  
But probably whoever had shot had done it from afar and blindly, he had just been lucky.  
"Are you OK?" Zulema asked, kneeling beside her.  
"Yes, it just brushed the leg."  
Zulema looked at Maca's leg, the jeans ripped where the bullet had hit her and the blood oozing from the torn flesh.  
"Can you run?"  
"Maybe barely walking."  
"Well they're close, they'll be coming soon," she said with a steady gaze on an indefinite spot on the ground. They needed a plan B.  
"You should go."  
Zulema looked at her "what?"  
Maca smiled "it's okay, Zulema, you can go."  
"No."  
"Zulema"  
"I said no."  
"I order you to go away."  
Zulema smiled "the person who can order me to do something is yet to be born."_  
  
"Don't be stupid! I'd slow you down and they'll catch both."  
"Okay" Zulema stood up "then it was a pleasure, Rubia" she said and took the bag with the jewels.  
Maca was silent. Making Zulema run away was the right thing to do but she didn't expect the brunette to actually do it. She kind of hoped she was so important that she wouldn't leave her behind.  
And her eyes must have conveyed it somehow because Zulema burst out laughing "you should have seen your face"  
"Coño, you're just wasting time."  
  
Another shot was heard but this time hit no one.  
Zulema tries to flatten as much as possible behind a tree, pulling Maca down with her.  
"Whoever it is, sees us," whispered the blonde.  
"And we don't see him."  
"Maybe I can distract them so that I can make you escape."  
"Don't even talk about it."  
"What's wrong with you? Since when am I more important than your freedom?"  
_Since you are my freedom._ "I don't want you dead on my conscience," she said instead.  
"We won't be able to escape both."  
"This is because a plan B was needed, why didn't you think about it?"  
"Well I guess I got a bullet for that, hmm?"  
"We only have one way to make it," she said, pulling herself up a little and looking around carefully. The gun loaded in her hands.  
Something would move sooner or later.  
And here are some leaves moving not far away.  
Zulema fired two shots and then dropped to the ground again, finishing slightly above Maca.  
"I don't think the time is right for these things," the blonde whispered.  
The brunette smiled "I didn't make you a sense of humor girl in a deadly situation like this."  
"Well not that there's anything else to do."  
"Sssh." She silenced her.  
There was no noise.  
"Maybe he's gone ... or he's dead." Zulema said "quick, we have to go away."  
  
Zulema helped Maca to sit down, gave her the bag with the jewels and then turned the back to her "go up."  
The blonde clung to her shoulders and with a little effort climbed onto her back. Zulema helped her settle down and then held her firmly by her thighs. She got up off the ground and started running as far as possible.  
Neither of them uttered a word on the way to the car, talking would only make Zulema more tired.  
But Maca couldn't help but smile as she felt Zulema's breathlessness. El elfo del puto infierno was carrying her in her shoulders, she was helping her, she had not left her to the police when she could.  
Macarena Ferreiro was important for el elfo del puto infierno.   
  
Arriving at the van, Zulema helped Maca out of the car, wrapped her arm around her and helped her walk.  
When they were inside, Zulema made her lie on the bed "no no" Maca complained "I'll stain the sheets."  
The brunette smiled "don't worry about that now."  
So Maca relaxed for the first time since they ran away.  
Zulema took off her jacket and then went to get the first aid kit.  
She went back to Maca and put the tape on the bed "we have to take off the pants."  
Maca nodded and sat up, letting her legs dangle from the bed. She unbuttoned her jeans and wiggled her hips a little to make them slide, hissing in pain with every little movement.  
Zulema reached down and pulled the jeans off Maca's legs, grazes her skin with her hands on the way, leaving her in her underwear.  
There was too much tension in the air. Zulema had never undressed Maca and would never have thought of doing so in such a situation.  
"You can lie down again if you want."  
And Maca didn't have to repeat it twice, slumping backwards on the bed.  
Zulema took a closer look at the wound in the leg. Thank goodness there was no bullet or she would not have been able to extract it.  
There was, however, an abundant spill of blood that had begun to stain the sheets, exactly as Maca feared.  
"First, I'm cleaning the wound," Zulema said, looking at Maca only to find her unconscious.  
"Maca?" She called, shaking her slightly.  
There was no reason to worry. She had passed out from stress, from injury, from adrenaline ... it wasn't like she was going to die. The bullet had barely grazed her.  
She had to stay calm.  
  
She took some cotton from the first aid kit and drenched it with alcohol and then cleaned up Maca's wound.  
The blood had stopped flowing, which was a good sign.  
She took the bandages and wrapped Maca's leg with absolute care and then put on her sweatpants.  
After arranging her jewelry and taking a shower, she lay down next to the blonde. The intent was to sleep but she couldn't stop staring at her.  
She had feared losing her. Just when she had promised herself never to get attached to anyone again, she found that it was already too late.  
Maca moved a little and then opened her eyes. She looked around and smiled when she noticed Zulema beside her. She looked down at her leg, noticing the bandage "this wasn't there before," she said.  
"It didn't seem right to leave you in your underwear." The brunette answered.  
Maca sat up and slowly tugged at the pants until she discovered the bandage "you did a good job" she noticed "actually, today you've done too many good things for your standards."  
She rearranged the suit and rolled onto her side to look at Zulema.  
"Does that mean I'm not usually a good person?"  
Maca smiled "in your opinion?"  
"It depends who you ask."  
"Well the people of the places we rob would say not very nice things."  
"Touché" she replied, then pointing to Maca's leg "and you’re welcome, anyway"  
Maca smiled "I won't thank you and do you know why?"  
"Because you are an ungrateful bitch?"  
"Because you went against our deal. And that's not good."  
Zulema smiled "I decide what is good and what is not good."  
"If it was the other way around, now you would be telling me how weak and stupid I am."  
"You are weak and stupid regardless."  
"Still, you just can't leave me huh?"  
  
  
  
"I only did it because there was no reason to leave you behind."  
"You said you didn't want my death on your conscience."  
"That too."  
"Why don't you tell me the truth?"  
Zulema looked away.  
"Look, admitting you're afraid doesn't make you weak."  
She gave her a dirty look and then turned away.  
Maca sighed. It wasn't easy to get Zulema to admit something.  
"When I heard the shot" began the brunette "I thought I would turn around and find you on the ground in a pool of blood with the eyes wide open."  
Maca swallowed. That image made her shiver.  
"And when I turned around and you were there, alive, complaining about a leg injury ..." she snorted a little laugh "I thought how I would do it if I didn't hear that annoying voice you have anymore."  
"Someone up there wants me to bother you for a little while longer," Maca said, crawling a little closer to Zulema.  
"Don't hug me."  
Maca sighed "Can I just sleep next to you?"  
Zulema said nothing.  
And Maca smiled, settling close to Zulema, enough to feel the warmth of her body.  
She wanted to feel that warmth on her, but for now that closeness was enough.  
"Anyway, I'm afraid of losing you too. I wanted you to know."


	12. Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it happens that I have new ideas and so I update this collection ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Since living with Zulema, Maca's very personal habit was to stretch an arm towards the brunette as soon as the first light of the morning lit up the van. This was because she would have decided to get up if Zulema was already up, and would still have stayed asleep if not.  
  
Zulema, for her part, only when she was half asleep she did notice that gesture but it never bothered her since Maca always promptly withdrew her arm.  
  
Except that morning.  
  
Maybe it was tiredness or maybe the heat of Zulema's body, but when Maca's arm found the brunette's body that morning, she didn't withdraw. But she remained on it and her hand went to lightly squeeze Zulema's side.  
  
The brunette felt something in her sleep that it was not enough to wake her up, but evidently it was enough to huddle a bit towards Maca.  
Her subconscious had to admit that the feeling wasn't bad, even though she couldn't tell where it came from. It made her feel good and safe, something she had long forgotten.  
  
Feeling Zulema's closeness, Maca clung further to her. Just like she did with the pillow when Zulema was gone. But having your face in the crook of Zulema's neck was much more pleasant than clutching a pillow.  
  
Zulema instinctively put her arm around Maca's shoulder.  
And the blonde came out of her half-sleep, widening her eyes as soon as she realized where she was.  
  
Was she sleeping embraced by Zulema?  
And hadn't Zulema killed her yet? In fact, did she even have her arm around her shoulder?  
  
Well, after all, Zulema was still sleeping. Maca understood this from her still deep breaths.  
So what harm was there to snuggle up there a little longer?  
She hadn't cuddled with anyone in so long. It was always easy to find sex, but someone who just hugs, caresses and kisses you while you lie in bed? It was quite another story. It took another level of intimacy.  
Intimacy that perhaps she had with Zulema, since they had shared the same tiny living space for a while.  
  
So she decided to settle better against the brunette's neck.  
She inhaled.  
She liked the smell of Zulema’s skin, so much that she wanted to bottle it to remember it because there would hardly be any other moments like this.  
And she also liked the feeling of security that gave her standing next to Zulema, while the world outside could also perish.  
_I have to remember this_ she thought _what it feels like._  
  
There was only one song left to make the scene worthy of the stupidest love movies, Maca thought.  
Although perhaps it was more beautiful that way: with the sound of Zulema's breath, with the sounds of nature outside the van.  
  
Zulema fidgeted a little and Maca thought it was over for her. The brunette would jump up and scream at her never to touch her again at best. At worst she would take the gun she kept by the bed and kill her.  
  
But instead, to the blonde's surprise, Zulema brought her free hand over the arm with which Maca was surrounding her and began to caress her slowly.  
That was weird. And it was the furthest thing from all the hypotheses Maca had thought of.  
  
She decided not to worry about it for the moment and returned those caresses by bringing her hand from Zulema's side to her face. She started to caress her cheek slowly with her thumb while admiring her by underneath.  
She liked Zulema's face, her shape, her skin. And most of all she loved that imperfect but one-of-a-kind nose, and the little dimple she had almost at the tip.  
She decided to put a finger on that dimple in her nose and do a slight "bop."  
Zulema opened her eyes a little, turned her face and stamped a small kiss on Maca's forehead.  
The blonde smiled and pressed closer to Zulema.  
  
That gesture was strange. Zulema was strange. Everything was strange.  
Maybe it was a dream and she would wake up soon, despite Zulema's lips on her skin looking so real.  
  
The brunette rested with her chin on the blonde's head while the blonde did not intend to move away from the groove of the brunette's neck.  
"Good morning," Maca murmured.  
Zulema's response was a grunt.  
Well, at least she hadn't scream some nasty words  
And she still hadn't gone away.  
"Are you awake?" tried Maca.  
"Mh-mh."   
_Did you notice what we are doing?_ She wanted to ask. But fear of ruining that moment prevented her.  
  
"I know what's going on, Rubia" Zulema said, immediately understanding Maca's doubt "I'm always aware when, every morning, your arm finds my body" she continued "it's not a new thing."  
"So it doesn't bother you?"  
"You're very good at getting it out in time usually."  
"Not today though."  
"For today I've decided it doesn't bother me."  
"This morning I woke up hugging you, exactly like I do with the pillow."  
A chuckle left Zulema's lips "you probably have lack of affection."  
"I absolutely have it ... I don't want to look desperate or play the victim but I haven't been with anyone like that for a long time." She admitted.  
"And?"  
"And it's beautiful."  
"I haven't hugged anyone since the last time I hugged Saray in prison." Zulema confessed.  
"That's a long time."  
"And time consume you."  
They enjoyed that contact a little longer.  
"I think everyone needs a little cuddle sometimes, you know," Maca said, "even people like us."  
Zulema laughed "people like us ..." she repeated.  
  
"Time to get back to reality, Rubia."  
"Who cares about reality, let’s stay here."  
"Staying in bed doesn't make money."  
"We have a lot of money."  
"Maca." Zulema said in a more serious tone this time.  
"Okay," she gave up, untangling her grip and moving to her side of the bed, allowing Zulema to get up.  
"Why can't it be like that every morning?" she asked, biting half her lip.  
"Because I can barely stand you other mornings." Zulema answered, walking to the kitchen counter to make the coffee.  
"What if by chance my arm slips around you tomorrow?"  
"I'll cut it off."  
Maca burst out laughing, not believing Zulema's words in the least.  
"Get that smile off your face. Or I'll throw you a knife."


End file.
